Mick drives a Hyundai Kona Premium SE 64kWh 2020, standard specification.
This is Mick’s first electric car, he’s owned the Kona less than a year and drives 5,000-10,000 miles annually. The current mileage of the car is between 30,000-40,000 miles and he achieves 270+ miles range in the summer and 240 in the winter, from an 80% charge.
Why did you choose this car?
I wanted to try an EV and did loads of research. I considered the Kia e-Niro as well but because of prices and the better driver cockpit on the Kona (IMHO), that was our choice. We wanted good range and reliability with the ‘must have’ heated seats. We also factored in costs of servicing, tyres and availability of ‘off the shelf’ spares.
Positives
- 320+ miles of range
- excellent equipment levels
- a fantastic driving experience
- if looked after, good reliability
- I love everything about my car and the wife pinches it at every opportunity! It’s very economical and averages 4.4 miles per kWh in the winter and 5 miles per kWh in the summer.
Negatives
Rear leg room if you have to carry passengers; for children it’s fine.
Compared to when you first bought the car, does your battery still charge at the same rate & do you still get the same range?
I didn’t buy it new but the range listed when new was 300 miles. We’re getting 320+ miles now and my car is 6 years old and done 35,000 miles!
Have you experienced any faults with the car? If so, what have they been?
Had the BMS (Battery Management System) software update done which was quick and free of charge. The dealership did an inspection on my car and the only issue was the tyre repair gel was out of date, so I had that replaced.
What are the standout technological features of the car?
Too many to list but…the infotainment is good, radar cruise control, excellent heated and cooled front seats, heated steering wheel, excellent sound system and the simplicity of physical buttons and knobs!
Tell us something people wouldn’t readily know about your Kona
The quiet unobtrusive driving experience, you have to try an electric car to experience it, it’s wonderful.
What electric car(s) are you interested in next and why?
So many! Skoda’s Enyaq for definite and the XPENG G6, Changan deepal S05 and Geely EX5 impresses too.
Home charging unit
myenergi zappi
Electricity supplier & tariff
British Gas EV tariff – not the best but it’s OK, 9p per kWh for 5 hours.
What public charging networks would you recommend to others and why?
- Octopus Electroverse is simple to use and gives you access to thousands and thousands of chargers
- Tesla offer a good subscription discount for their chargers as some are open to all makes & models.
Insurance
Carole Nash – it was the cheapest at the time and offered everything we needed.
Please itemise where you’re saving money (or not) owning & running a BYD Seal
Great savings if you can charge from home! I’m saving £40 a month, sometimes more depending on usage. Tyres are similarly priced, £204 for 4 x EV rated tyres; servicing costs are lower and my local garage service it better than the main dealers, for less money.
