The $30,000, 250-mile range EV is already here, and it’s not a Tesla. The 2020 Hyundai Kona Electric offers great value, great range, and a great factory warranty with a mass-market badge. It’s truly a shame it’s not available everywhere. 

We give it a rating of 6.8 out of 10. (Read more about how we rate cars.)

For 2020, the Kona Electric receives minimal changes, mostly among options shuffled within its trims.

Review continues below

The Kona Electric is based on the Hyundai Kona, the Korean brand’s funky-looking, city-friendly subcompact crossover. With a lower ride height and sleeker styling, the Kona Electric is more of a hatchback, but we’re splitting hairs here. It blends the Kona’s wacky styling with futuristic EV touches with mixed results, but the interior is both high-quality and refreshingly reserved.

At 201 horsepower served up by an electric motor and a big battery, the Kona Electric accelerates with hot-hatchback feel, but its most important figure is the estimated range. Hyundai and the EPA claim the Kona Electric is capable of 258 miles of driving range, which is competitive with the Chevrolet Bolt, lower trims of the Tesla Model 3, and better than the much more expensive EVs from luxury marques like Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

The Kona Electric fits four adults, though not perfectly comfortably, and offers about as much cargo space as a small hatchback should.

Active safety features come standard, as well as heated front seats, keyless ignition, 17-inch wheels, two USB chargers, and a great 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as Bluetooth. Better yet, Hyundai’s excellent 5-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty is included. At $37,495 (after $1,045 destination charge) – or $29,995 including a $7,500 federal tax credit for some buyers – the entry-level Kona Electric is one of the most affordable ways to go EV.

Unfortunately, it’s only available in California and other coastal states with strict emissions rules, but Hyundai claims dealers are able to order it nationwide. Our experience says differently, but perhaps that will be the case over time.