Govt. places order for Kona Electric SUV

According to a media report, the Government of India has placed an order for the Hyundai Kona Electric SUV. The exact number of cars ordered is not known.

The Kona Electric uses a 39.2 kWh battery that powers an electric motor, which has an output of 134 BHP and 395 Nm. Hyundai claims that the car can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 9.7 seconds, while the battery is said to offer an ARAI certified range of 452 km on a single charge.

At present, the government has a fleet of Tigor EVs and eVerito sedans. While the Kona Electric has a larger battery and higher range, it costs almost double that of the Tigor EV. But, the running costs are said to be just 40 paise/km.

Reports suggest that the Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) plans to limit the final order to around 3,000 EVs by March 2020.