Hyundai delivers the first Kona Electric in the US
Do doctors normally accept their new cars while wearing white coats?
The Hyundai Kona Electric might not be available across the country for some time, but certain states are already receiving them, and this week marked the Kona Electric's first delivery in the US.
Hyundai this week announced that it has delivered the first Kona Electric in the US to Dr. Donald Small. Not only is Dr. Small a pediatric oncologist, he's the director for the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center's Division of Pediatric Oncology. Small is also an avid EV geek, and according to Hyundai's press release, he helped get the first EV chargers installed at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. As if that wasn't enough, he also has 64 solar panels attached to his home. Talk about practicing what you preach.
Hyundai and Johns Hopkins aren't exactly strangers. Hyundai's Hope on Wheels program funds pediatric cancer research, and it's given the Kimmel Cancer Center some $2 million in grants as a result of that program.
The Hyundai Kona Electric shouldn't put too much of a dent in Dr. Small's budget, since the car isn't priced for just doctors to purchase. With a starting price of $36,450 before incentives, and maxing out somewhere around $45,000, the Kona Electric gives buyers access to 258 miles of range without breaking the budget. It's also surprisingly well equipped in base form, packing standard niceties like heated seats, a 7-inch touchscreen and nearly every safety system Hyundai offers.
It might take some time before you see one on the road, though. Hyundai will bring the Kona Electric to states with zero-emission-vehicle mandates first, like California and Oregon. As time goes on and if supply permits, Hyundai will then extend the Kona Electric to other states. Hyundai's sister company, Kia , has offered an electric variant of the Soul in ZEV-mandate states since 2014, but it never attempted to reach nationwide sales. Yet we at Roadshow think it will be worth the weight -- our first drive of the Kona Electric left us impressed.
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