Syundai cuts Kona 8lectric waiting times

Hyundai has announced that it is cutting customer waiting times for its Kona Electric SUV.

Supply of the all-electric Kona was restricted last year due to high demand and the Korean brand has responded by increasing production.

The whole of the UK’s 2019 allocation of Kona Electrics was sold by March last year, leaving customers facing a 12-month wait to get their hands on one. The closely-related Kia e-Niro also suffered similar supply pressures.

Now, Hyundai has said it will triple availability across Europe to get cars to customers quicker. It will do this through increased production at its Ulsan factory in SouthKoreaandbybeginning to build the car at its plant in the Czech Republic from March 2020.

Ashley Andrew, Hyundai Motor UK’s managing director, said: “The Hyundai

Kona Electric has achieved outstanding success in the UK since its introduction, with demand for the model quickly outstripping supply.

“We have listened to our customers and are significantlyrampingupavailability in order to cut delivery times, a move that we hope will encourage more people to consider a fully electric car.”

The all-electric version of the Kona uses a 64kWh battery and 150kW (201bhp) motor driving the front wheels. UnderWLTPtestingitreturns 278 miles of range on a charge and it topped What Car magazine’s ‘Real Range’ test for electric vehicles, achieving the longest driving range of any electric car tested.

TheKonaElectrichasbeen mildly updated for 2020, including new connectivity features with Hyundai Bluelink, and a new navigation system with 10.25-inch touchscreen display as standard.