My First Electric Vehicle Experience | The 2019 Hyundai Kona EV

What a time to be alive. Great electric vehicles are a thing – and the Toronto Raptors are in the NBA Finals. Wow – who would’ve thought?

But back to the electric vehicle – the main topic of this article. As of a few weeks ago, getting behind the wheel of an electric car got much cheaper as a Canadian. One of the government’s long-term goals was to have no gas vehicles in 2040; which is both exciting and interesting – because who knows what awaits the automotive industry? With the incentives, you can get up to $5,000 off the cost of electric/plugin hybrid vehicles that cost up to $55,000. If you’re in Ontario and are considering a hybrid, conquest cars has rounded up the best new car deals currently available .

For many years, a fully-functional electric car was something I only dreamed of driving. A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of taking the 2019 Hyundai Kona EV for an environmentally-conscious spin. I was ecstatic to say the least, especially due to it’s 400km+ range Lithium Ion battery! Having also read great reviews about Hyundai’s newest crossover, the Kona (it also looks pretty good), I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Besides, I had a short road trip in mind and I had to put it to the test.

After getting into the car and turning it on, I realized that it was completely silent, which made it kind of hard to know that the car was even running! There was an occasional humming noise that was noticeable in smaller areas, but it wasn’t much of a bother. Once I figured out the braking system (just pull your foot off the electric pedal slowly), it became quite the ride.

The sub-compact SUV’s acceleration took me by surprise and made me appreciate the powerful and efficient drivetrain it has. It kept me wanting more, the more I drove it.

However all this glory didn’t come without a cost. I had to constantly keep an eye on the car’s charge meter, worried that I wasn’t planning ahead far enough. And when you live downtown, it’s hard being able to plug in your car in overnight – considering most buildings don’t have 120v sockets for your Level 1 charger (basic charger comes with the vehicle).

Since the Level 1 charger takes a while to charge, you’ll have to find public Level 2 chargers to quickly get some juice. Not to say that the Kona EV’s charge wasn’t enough, it actually was, but when you’re driving longer distances, you have to factor in that charging time (roughly 40km per hour) and plan your route to see where public chargers are located (Chargehub and Chargepoint are two apps that I used). You also can’t take advantage of the numerous Tesla superchargers that exist.

Although the above isn’t a Kona EV problem, but more of an infrastructure issue, I absolutely loved driving the Kona EV. I loved every bit of it.

An electric car that provides the same convenience as a regular car made me realize the possible potential of future EVs. They’re really something to be excited about and they’re very accessible after the rebate right now, but it never hurts to wait. I felt a little better knowing that I was contributing to the protection of the environment, while driving this bold and stylish crossover.

If you’re thinking about an electric vehicle like the Kona EV, Conquest cars can set you up with an awesome dealership experience. They’re a Toronto automotive startup that offers live shopping advice and helpful suggestions before you visit the dealership. On top of it all, when you purchase through their network you get lifetime access to an automotive advisor who is there to give you selling, service, & trading help for your entire ownership with the vehicle. No one else seems to be doing this right now so it’s great to see!