2025 Hyundai Kona Electric

We like what Hyundai is doing with electric vehicles (EVs), and we like the Kona in any form. So an electric Kona was always going to intrigue us. It turns out to be worth our time and yours. This is a great little SUV capable of achieving 261 miles on a single full battery charge. Although not class-leading, that’s still going to work well in normal day-to-day driving. Especially if owners are spending most of their time in the city and the suburbs.

On top of that, the Kona Electric is relatively spacious for its small footprint, wears inspired interior and exterior designs, and comes with unbeatable warranties. This generation launched just last year.

The gasoline-powered 2025 Hyundai Kona SUV is reviewed separately.

We’ve logged hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of electric SUVs, including the Hyundai Kona Electric.

There’s a new N Line trim, 64-color ambient cabin lighting makes its way into the top two trims, Ultimate Red Metallic is a new paint choice, and V2L (vehicle-to-load) bi-directional charging becomes standard across the Kona Electric lineup.

The SEL is a popular choice and one we would recommend, as it has the longest range of the Kona Electric lineup along with a few extra amenities.

Other small electric SUVs include the Kia Niro EV and the Volvo EX30, both starting higher than the Kona Electric.

Before buying a new Kona Electric SUV, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should really pay. Resale values are below average, but no worse than the Kia Niro EV. Recouping more money when selling a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on the next one.

The popular SEL version of the Kona Electric has 201 horsepower providing a decent amount of thrust — even if that does seem a touch lame against the (pricier) forthcoming Volvo EX30’s minimum of 268 horsepower. Put it in Sport mode and the Kona Electric will respond sweetly.

We’ve also found the ride quality to be smooth, while still keeping body roll in check through the corners. The quiet cabin, meanwhile, contributes to the overall classy feel.

We’re big fans of the Hyundai Kona Electric’s high-tech interior design. It offsets an overall minimalist approach with user-friendly features. We think there’s a definite premium feel to it.

The Kona Electric is a 5-seater. Well, a comfortable 4-seater with a small middle rear spot. Rear legroom of 36.4 inches puts the Kona Electric among the more spacious members of its class. For example, the Volvo EX30 has just 32.3 inches.

At 63.7 cubic feet, total cargo capacity is also impressive. There’s 25.5 cubic feet behind the second row, opening out to a maximum of 63.7 cubic feet when they’re folded down. That’s the same as the gasoline-powered Kona, so the EV battery hasn’t required many compromises. In common with many electric vehicles, this Kona also has a small storage space under the hood. To compare, the EX30 has 27.8 cubic feet behind its rear seats.

Despite the futuristic looks, Hyundai has still managed (in our opinion) to retain pleasing and sensible proportions. The Kona Electric’s tidy size is also a joy when parking. It’s ideal in crowded conditions like city parking garages.

Dual displays
Every new Kona Electric SUV has a pair of 12.3-inch high-resolution displays. One is for driver information, while the other is a touchscreen for the infotainment system — which includes Wi-Fi, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and over-the-air updates.

i-Pedal
The Kona Electric’s i-Pedal function enables one-pedal driving. Speeding up, slowing down, and even coming to a complete stop can be accomplished by using just the accelerator pedal.

Highway Driving Assist
Along with the Kona Electric’s standard adaptive cruise control, we’ve found that this lane-centering feature alleviates some of the grind of long freeway stretches.

Bi-directional charging
A vehicle-to-load (V2L) feature allows the Kona Electric to charge devices or even power a home’s necessities in an emergency. This is a standard feature.

Blind-Spot View Monitor
Only fitted in the top Limited trim, but we really like this feature. It shows real-time video (in the driver information display) down the side of the vehicle, giving the driver more information than blind-spot monitoring alone.

Hands-free tailgate operation
This powered tailgate with automatic opening is another feature of the Limited trim. We love the convenience of it because we’re often walking up to a tailgate with hands full, wanting to load something.

Most buyers choose the SEL version of the Kona Electric, which comes with the larger of two batteries available, resulting in a maximum range of 261 miles. That’s still relatively impressive among lower-priced EVs. The Kia Niro EV is rated at 253 miles, while the cheapest new Volvo EX30 is capable of an estimated 275 miles. The smaller battery in the Kona Electric SE delivers 200 miles of range, while the new Kona Electric N Line trim is expected to run 230 miles between charges.

Both batteries take around 43 minutes to go from 10% capacity to 80% using a DC fast charger. If it was 13 minutes quicker, we’d say that was fine, and more in line with the EX30. The Niro EV takes about the same time as the Kona Electric.

5-Year/60,000-Mile Warranty

The Kona Electric SUV enjoys class-leading warranties. Hyundai’s excellent coverage includes a 5-year/60,000-mile (whichever happens first) basic warranty, 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain and battery warranties, and a 3-year/36,000-mile complimentary maintenance plan.

Safety Ratings

The gasoline Kona has been named a Top Safety Pick+ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the institute’s highest accolade. It earned an overall score of four stars out of a possible five from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Since the Kona Electric uses the same platform, we’d expect its safety credentials to be just as good. Standard safety features include forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian/cyclist detection, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and lane-keeping assistance.