The Hyundai Kona Electric arrived in 2018 and helped set the current path for mainstream EVs, making a used one a compelling choice.
Hyundai is regarded today as one of the world’s leading EV manufacturers. Its cars are efficient, well-made, sensibly priced, and good-looking.
As with sister company Kia, that wasn’t always the story. Before Hyundai’s electrification pivot during the mid-2010s, the South Korean carmaker had earned a reputation as a manufacturer of solid, if unspectacular, value-focused cars.
Yet following the debut of the Hyundai Kona Electric in 2018, that all changed. Seoul’s first B-segment SUV showed the world that if you wanted massive range, you didn’t need a Tesla.
The Kona Electric proved that making the jump from petrol or diesel to electric need not be a daunting prospect. After all, the Kona felt like, well… a regular combustion-powered Kona, and it packed a Model 3-beating range of up to 273 miles.
While the facelifted version and newer rivals have outclassed the first-gen Hyundai Kona Electric, it remains one of the UK’s top 10-selling used EVs, with prices starting at under £10,000.
Hyundai Kona Electric UK history
The Hyundai Kona Electric made its way to the UK with a choice of two batteries: a 64kWh unit paired with a 201bhp, front-mounted electric motor, and a smaller, 39kWh pack with a 134bhp motor.
For the 2021 model year, it was heavily updated with a restyled, smoothed-off front end, a revised interior, blind-spot and rear-cross traffic detection, and a new suite of ADAS features we’ve all come to know and love. Not.
Fast-forward two years, and the Kona Electric was replaced by a second-generation model, which ushered in a new design language inside and out.
However, this latest iteration shares its 400V architecture with its predecessor, meaning it doesn’t charge as quickly as some of Hyundai’s electric Ioniq models, despite being aesthetically closer to them than ever.
Used Hyundai Kona Electric equipment
The UK-spec Hyundai Kona Electric was available in three trim levels: Base-spec SE, mid-tier Premium, and flagship Premium SE.
SE cars were available solely with the 39kWh battery and the subsequent smaller range that came with it. Nonetheless, it remained true to Hyundai’s ethos of generous standard equipment, and fitted with 17-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, plus automatic emergency braking and lane-keep assistance.
Inside, a digital dashboard, plus a seven-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality were also part of the package.
The Hyundai Kona Electric Premium added blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alert, and front parking sensors. The interior was also improved courtesy of integrated sat-nav, a Krell audio system, and an eight-inch touchscreen, which was upgraded to 10.3 inches for the 2021 overhaul.
Premium SE versions of the Hyundai Kona Electric added LED headlights, a driver’s head-up display, electrically-adjustable heated and cooled leather seats up front, plus a warmed rear bench.
Overall, the Kona Electric is a well-made, albeit slightly dated, place to sit in comparison to Hyundai’s latest tranche of EVs. Yet given it’s a last-gen EV, there are physical controls dedicated to vital car functions such as the air-conditioning, radio, built-in sat-nav, and transmission.
Like its sibling, the Kia E-Niro, this alone makes the Hyundai Kona Electric worthy of consideration for motorists unconvinced of manufacturers putting everything in a touchscreen and the issues this can cause.
Price, range, and running costs
Given its age, a used Hyundai Kona Electric isn’t an expensive used choice. In fact, we found early cars for under £8,000 on Autotrader. But if you’ve been reading our used buyer guides for the last year or so, you’ll have noticed that we always recommend buying from an approved dealer.
With that piece of advice in mind, we found just 16 used first-gen Kona Electrics on the official Hyundai UK website. The cheapest we came across was a 2020 Premium with a 64kWh battery and 66,500 miles on the clock for £10,948. Conversely, the most expensive was another 64kWh Premium from 2021 with a total mileage of 41,300, and a £17,495 asking price.
Battery charging times are where a used Hyundai Kona Electric shows its age. Its peak charging speed is 100kW, which translates into a now-glacial 10-80% top-up time of 47 minutes. With a 7kW home wallbox, the 39kWh cars fully charge in six hours, while the 64kWh models take nine hours. Using a three-pin trickle charger, a full charge is 31 hours.
We don’t hide from the fact that EV charging at home is significantly cheaper than relying on the public charging network. Using a 7kW home charger paired with a dedicated home charging tariff, the 39kWh Hyundai Kona Electric can be fully charged for £2.73, while its 64kWh will cost just £4.48.
Hyundai Kona Electric insurance
The Hyundai Kona Electric sits in insurance groups 20-27 out of 50, adding to its wallet-friendly credentials. Versions with the smaller battery are the cheaper of the two to insure.
On April 1, 2025, EVs became taxable under new government legislation, meaning they are no longer road tax-free. All-electric cars registered from April 1, 2017, onwards will now be taxed £200 annually.
Used Hyundai Kona Electric reliability, official recalls, and faults to look for
Unusually for Hyundai, the Kona Electric has been a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to reliability, and ironically, it’s the electrics that have been the main problem.
Short-circuiting within the battery pack and potential fires led to a 2021 recall, as did an abnormality in the intelligent emergency braking (IEB) that same year. In 2020, a batch of cars was recalled for faulty battery management systems.
No more recalls have been recorded since. According to online owner forums, draining 12V batteries can be a problem, while issues with fast-charging connections between car and charging station have also been noted.
As with every dealer network, Hyundai’s is a mixed bag with some owners citing great service, while others have bemoaned parts delays and poor communication.
The ‘one to have’
If it were our money being spent on a used Hyundai Kona Electric, then our pick of the bunch would be on a post-2020 facelift Premium model. In addition to a more contemporary, futuristic design, it comes with all the equipment you’d need, including the bigger infotainment screen and that beefy Krell audio system.
The Premium SE would also make a good purchase, but the heated seats aren’t necessarily a dealbreaker, and nor is the driver’s head-up display.
