Hyundai wants you to think the Kona Electric is an SUV. Go to their consumer site, and Hyundai lists the Kona under the “Crossovers / SUVs” section at the top. Why, then, is Edmunds comparing the Hyundai Kona Electric with the Chevrolet Bolt EV, you ask? On paper, the two are similar in several aspects. They sport the same wheelbase and the Kona Electric is just a smidge longer overall. Both are four-door hatches with a 150-kilowatt electric motor powering the front wheels. The Bolt EV packs 200 horsepower while Hyundai rates the Kona Electric at 201 hp. What’s strange is that while Hyundai markets the Kona as a crossover, it’s lower and wider than the Chevrolet Bolt EV, which General Motors advertises as your standard hatchback car.Â
However, there are subtle differences between to two that could make a new EV owner pick one over the other. The Kona Electric EV benefits from a multilink rear suspension while the Chevrolet Bolt EV sports a cheaper, less sophisticated twist beam setup. This gives the Kona better handling and ride quality over the Chevy. Hyundai also packs the Kona Electric with more standard features than the Bolt.
But there’s another difference between the two that has nothing to do with the actual vehicles. With both being electric vehicles, they qualify for the $7,500 federal tax credit. However, GM has sold its 200,000th qualifying electric vehicle, which triggers the phase-out period for credit. But at least for the next six months, qualifying electric vehicles from GM will be eligible for a $3,750 tax credit. In October, that credit drops to $1,875 before falling to $0 in April 2020. Hyundai has the price advantage as buyers will be able to claim the full $7,500 tax credit on a new Kona Electric. The base Kona Electric is rumored to have a similar starting price to the entry-level Chevrolet Bolt EV, which starts at $36,620.Â
In the end, Edmunds picked the Hyundai Kona Electric as the winner over the Chevrolet Bolt EV. The Kona’s better ride and handling coupled with more standard features and the available $7,500 tax credit helped push it ahead of the Bolt in the comparison test.Â
Comments
Thought GMA fans would be interested in this, especially when GM seems to be making the opposite decisions of the rest of the industry:
@prayingmedic
4 hours ago
Ford caves to Trump and announces it’s canceling plans for a $1.6 billion Mexico plant and instead will spend $700 million & add 700 jobs to expand its Flat Rock, Michigan plant.
#Winning
P.S. Took it from GMer on other thread so hope he/ she doesn’t get mad at me.
Good for Ford. Seems all car companies are coming back into the U.S. big time except GM. Will reconsider my automatic GM purchases next dealer visit.
Ford trolls at it again, the Indian made Ecosport and Mexico-made Fiestas, Fusion, MKZ and future projects needs thier passports revoked as well…
Same. Big GM fan, I have a new Silverado in the garage. I’ll look to Ford in 4-5 year when I’m ready for a new one if things don’t turn around big time. I’ve purchased probably 20 GM vehicles and only 4 non GM.
Ford like all other auto companies knows the tide has turned and they don’t want to be on the wrong side of history. A massive decision like this means they know Trump is in the White House for a very long time and the focus will be on American jobs and the economy.
When will GM wake up? Instead it goes and fires 15,000 Americans (and Canadians) and in the process pisses off the person that holds their fortunes in trade. Time for Mary Barra to go!
that happened 2 years ago … january 2017.
fyi, new england won the super bowl in 2017 and philadelphia won the super bowl in 2018 if you missed that as well junior.
GM’s hasn’t opened a plant in Mexico in 10 years, could be why they haven’t announced any cancellations.
Ya think?
Then there’s this!
https://www.toledoblade.com/Economy/2017/02/09/Made-in-Mexico-popular-on-U-S-roads.html
As far as the cars in this article, at least the Kona won’t suffer from engine fires right? Who cares what Edmunds thinks anyway!
If this site is hosted by car enthusiests, then get out there and do your own reviews instead of reposting one others work!
Diaper Don’s news may not be as timely as he thinks it is, but it is correct-ish. Ford did “cancel” plans to build the next Focus in Mexico. Instead they announced they would be importing it from China. Later, Trump’s tariffs forced them to just kill plans for the Focus and this country entirely.
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-06-20/remember-when-ford-cancelled-plant-mexico-well-theyve-just-moved-it-china
That’s what winning looks like from the perspective of people that think a statement like the following is sane and presidential: “I don’t care that most of the workers not getting paid are Democrats.” – Diaper Don Senior, AKA the Yeti
#Morons
The posting is about Chevy vs Hyundai’s EVs.
The comments are all about Ford.
Odd, I must say …
Because all the Ford trolls trying to ruin this site like the other GM site to get people to buy thier defective products.
#Found On Road…..Dead.
A drowning victim (ford) will always try to pull down everyone with them. It seemed politically criminal to be handing these imports this $7500 advantage. the law breakers eh, makers need to either drop it across the board which would be very short sighted and disruptive to everyone’s product planning, or they need to grow some stones and extend it for everyone as is on the table presently. The current situation is going to be very beneficial to VW as they roll out all their EVs soon. This seems so counter productive given that they are supposedly in the midst of repenting for diesel gate. Typical insanity from the keepers of the swamp. One should lookup the ratio of American cars sold in Korea vs what they sell here before buying one.
Being first in business means absolutely nothing as there’s no time to sit on one’s laurels as General Motors needs to continue developing ALL of their vehicles or risk being a has-been; this is one of GM’s biggest failures as they introduce a product and aren’t willing to continue development as this is something that General Motors next CEO needs to address.
Nice, GM shows good example for how to become a looser even though hyndai by just doing bad interior and cheapning ride experience.
* even to hyndai
(Autocorrect cheated )
No adaptive cruise control in the Bolt. Game over.
This article was supposed to be about the bolts range! Not a political argument!
The electric miles is meaningless at this point, all companies are in the very beginning of development. Each manufacturer will increase the limit each time just like the HP wars. Once the electric miles exceed 500/600 miles then it will make a difference!
I agree with the 500 mile barrier yet “all things are political” – Aristotle… Honey, does this dress make my…?
It is not 500 miles but faster charging that will be the barrier to break.
If they can get a battery to charge in the same amount of time as it takes to fill a tank of gas most peoples range issues would be resolved.
Also it would solve the charging station issue as gas stations could add an island easily and not have cars blocking them up for several hours.
Quite frankly the web site here has turned into a haven for trolls and political hacks. Threads are so pointless and off track it is crazy.
No it’s not the fast charger! Even if they find a way to charge the car in minutes, nobody wants to stop for (fuel/electricity) every 200 miles!
So longer range will be the key to make these electric cars more valuable than ICE cars.
Brian you are already over 300 miles now and many gas vehicles are refilled at that point.
Few cars will go 500 miles on a tank of gas and if they can you would not want to be in them non stop for 500 miles anyways.
I think staying on topic should be the norm!
We agree. +1
Certainly, rapid charging will be a game changer, in fact that point is so obvious that one could call your comment pointless. And to the comment below, shall we appoint some thought Nazis here like on some forums so that we can all be marshaled into the same shallow thought patterns of varying technical and often misinformed opinions? With well over one billion vehicles (and rising rapidly) in the world and the associated pollution from them I would argue that how we as a planet’s occupants proceed is of critical political and ethical importance.
Talk about pointless…………
The average ice range is 500 miles, my first gen Passat TDI was good for over 1000 miles. Some sheeeple on here seem convinced that their limited vision is 20/20.