South Korean car manufacturer on the 9th of July 2019 launched the country’s first long-range all-electric SUV, the Hyundai Kona, at INR 25.30 lakh ex-showroom. In the recent Union Budget announcement, the Government of India has proposed to cut down the GST (Goods and Services Tax) levied on electric vehicles from the earlier 12% to 5% in a bid to encourage the sales of electric vehicles in India which is important as the Government’s think tank, the NITI Aayog has proposed for a mass electrification plan in the country by the year 2030.
If the proposal is passed and the Government decides to slash the GST levied on all-electric vehicles, the already expensive Hyundai Kona could see a drop in the price of about INR 1.40 lakh. In turn, the benefits will be passed on to the customers who wish to buy the Kona electric. Furthermore, the Government has also proposed to provide an additional income tax deduction of INR 1.5 lakh on the interest paid on the loans to purchase the electric vehicle which will further encourage the electric car’s sale.
The Hyundai Kona electric in India is powered by a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor that generates 136 PS of power and 395 Nm of torque and can claims to accelerate from 0-100 kmph in 9.7 seconds The electric motor is paired to a 39.2 kWh lithium-ion battery pack which is said to provide the range of ARAI certified 452 km on a single charge. The Hyundai Kona can be charged from 0-80% state of charge in under 1 hour using a 50kW DC fast charger or 0-100% charge can be achieved in 6 hours 10 minutes using a wall-box charger. Hyundai will be providing a Home Charger along with the car and the brand will also install Quick Charging stations at its dealerships and select Indian Oil petrol pumps in 4 major cities in India.
The Hyundai Kona electric also comes with a 3-year/unlimited km warranty as standard along with an 8-year/1,60,000 km warranty for the battery.