Hyundai has unveiled its new second-generation Kona vehicle, including the Kona EV, hybrid, and ICE variants.
The Hyundai Kona and the Chevy Bolt have become a go-to vehicles for those looking for their first EV. The Kona’s entry-level price point and impressive specs for the money have attracted numerous buyers. It’s clear Hyundai is hoping for a similar reaction to the next-generation Kona EV it released yesterday.
The second generation of the Kona EV brings iterative technical changes and a refreshed design to the flexible platform, which still allows customers to choose from an ICE, EV, or hybrid version.
Hyundai’s new Kona EV is the star of the show, and the Korean automaker made that clear, stating that this was the first time the Kona had been designed for electrification first, with the ability to add a gas engine designed second.
The second generation Kona EV comes with a max range of 304 miles from its Long-Range 65.4kWh battery, though a smaller Standard-Range battery is also available with a capacity of 48.4kWh. Hyundai didn’t specify the range of the smaller battery, but assuming a similar efficiency as the Long-Range battery, it should have roughly 225 miles of range.
With the Long-Range battery, customers also receive a more powerful motor, providing an ample 217 horsepower and 188 pound-feet of torque to the front wheels. The Standard-Range battery has a less powerful 156 horsepower and 188 pound-feet of torque motor.
While the vehicle’s power is only bumped slightly compared to the previous generation, the added ~50 miles of max range is undoubtedly a welcome addition to the platform.
With DC fast charging, the new Hyundai Kona EV will charge from 10-80% in 41 minutes. Hyundai didn’t specify if the charging time differed between the battery options. Sadly, neither vehicle is equipped with Hyundai’s phenomenal 800-volt architecture, which means the Kona EV’s charging time is essentially unchanged from the previous generation.
The more apparent upgrades coming to the new Kona are in design. Not only does the Kona receive the same angular design found on many of Hyundai’s larger SUV offerings, but it becomes slightly larger than the previous generation. Hyundai states that this change was made to provide the maximum interior space to occupants while retaining the vehicle’s mid-size categorization.
The Korean automaker also provides the Kona EV with a laundry list of features, making it a far more useful vehicle in numerous situations. Its most sought-after feature is likely its vehicle-to-load technology, allowing customers to plug in everything from a mini-fridge to a TV. Besides that, Hyundai also includes OTA updates with the vehicle, allowing it to improve consistently throughout its ownership.
But with all these details released, Hyundai left out the most important, the Kona EV’s price.
Hyundai sadly no longer qualifies for federal EV incentives in the United States that could dramatically lower the price of the vehicle for many consumers. And with the Tesla Model 3 and Chevy Bolt cheaper than ever, both of which qualify for federal incentives, Hyundai may be in somewhat of a challenging situation.
Currently, the Hyundai Kona EV is listed for $33,550, roughly $13,000 more expensive than the Chevy Bolt with federal incentives, and only $2,000 cheaper than the base Tesla Model 3 with incentives.
Hyundai undoubtedly faces an uphill battle considering its lack of federal incentives. However, considering its success at attracting customers to its IONIQ Platform, the company still has a great shot of luring buyers nonetheless. Despite this hurdle, the automaker can hopefully still help more consumers electrify with its newest models.
What do you think of the article? Do you have any comments, questions, or concerns? Shoot me an email at william@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @WilliamWritin. If you have news tips, email us at tips@teslarati.com!
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s xAI brings 1GW Colossus 2 AI training cluster online
Elon Musk shared his update in a recent post on social media platform X.
xAI has brought its Colossus 2 supercomputer online, making it the first gigawatt-scale AI training cluster in the world, and it’s about to get even bigger in a few months.
Elon Musk shared his update in a recent post on social media platform X.
Colossus 2 goes live
The Colossus 2 supercomputer, together with its predecessor, Colossus 1, are used by xAI to primarily train and refine the company’s Grok large language model. In a post on X, Musk stated that Colossus 2 is already operational, making it the first gigawatt training cluster in the world.
But what’s even more remarkable is that it would be upgraded to 1.5 GW of power in April. Even in its current iteration, however, the Colossus 2 supercomputer already exceeds the peak demand of San Francisco.
Commentary from users of the social media platform highlighted the speed of execution behind the project. Colossus 1 went from site preparation to full operation in 122 days, while Colossus 2 went live by crossing the 1-GW barrier and is targeting a total capacity of roughly 2 GW. This far exceeds the speed of xAI’s primary rivals.
Funding fuels rapid expansion
xAI’s Colossus 2 launch follows xAI’s recently closed, upsized $20 billion Series E funding round, which exceeded its initial $15 billion target. The company said the capital will be used to accelerate infrastructure scaling and AI product development.
The round attracted a broad group of investors, including Valor Equity Partners, Stepstone Group, Fidelity Management & Research Company, Qatar Investment Authority, MGX, and Baron Capital Group. Strategic partners NVIDIA and Cisco also continued their support, helping xAI build what it describes as the world’s largest GPU clusters.
xAI said the funding will accelerate its infrastructure buildout, enable rapid deployment of AI products to billions of users, and support research tied to its mission of understanding the universe. The company noted that its Colossus 1 and 2 systems now represent more than one million H100 GPU equivalents, alongside recent releases including the Grok 4 series, Grok Voice, and Grok Imagine. Training is also already underway for its next flagship model, Grok 5.
Elon Musk
Tesla AI5 chip nears completion, Elon Musk teases 9-month development cadence
The Tesla CEO shared his recent insights in a post on social media platform X.
Tesla’s next-generation AI5 chip is nearly complete, and work on its successor is already underway, as per a recent update from Elon Musk.
The Tesla CEO shared his recent insights in a post on social media platform X.
Musk details AI chip roadmap
In his post, Elon Musk stated that Tesla’s AI5 chip design is “almost done,” while AI6 has already entered early development. Musk added that Tesla plans to continue iterating rapidly, with AI7, AI8, AI9, and future generations targeting a nine-month design cycle.
He also noted that Tesla’s in-house chips could become the highest-volume AI processors in the world. Musk framed his update as a recruiting message, encouraging engineers to join Tesla’s AI and chip development teams.
Tesla community member Herbert Ong highlighted the strategic importance of the timeline, noting that faster chip cycles enable quicker learning, faster iteration, and a compounding advantage in AI and autonomy that becomes increasingly difficult for competitors to close.
AI5 manufacturing takes shape
Musk’s comments align with earlier reporting on AI5’s production plans. In December, it was reported that Samsung is preparing to manufacture Tesla’s AI5 chip, accelerating hiring for experienced engineers to support U.S. production and address complex foundry challenges.
Samsung is one of two suppliers selected for AI5, alongside TSMC. The companies are expected to produce different versions of the AI5 chip, with TSMC reportedly using a 3nm process and Samsung using a 2nm process.
Musk has previously stated that while different foundries translate chip designs into physical silicon in different ways, the goal is for both versions of the Tesla AI5 chip to operate identically. AI5 will succeed Tesla’s current AI4 hardware, formerly known as Hardware 4, and is expected to support the company’s Full Self-Driving system as well as other AI-driven efforts, including Optimus.
News
Tesla Model Y and Model 3 named safest vehicles tested by ANCAP in 2025
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025.
The Tesla Model Y recorded the highest overall safety score of any vehicle tested by ANCAP in 2025. The Tesla Model 3 also delivered strong results, reinforcing the automaker’s safety leadership in Australia and New Zealand.
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025. ANCAP’s 2025 tests evaluated vehicles across four key pillars: Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection, and Safety Assist technologies.
The Model Y posted consistently strong results in all four categories, distinguishing itself through a system-based safety approach that combines structural crash protection with advanced driver-assistance features such as autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring.
This marked the second time the Model Y has topped ANCAP’s annual safety rankings. The Model Y’s previous version was also ANCAP’s top performer in 2022.
The Tesla Model 3 also delivered a strong performance in ANCAP’s 2025 tests, contributing to Tesla’s broader safety presence across segments. Similar to the Model Y, the Model 3 also earned impressive scores across the ANCAP’s four pillars. This made the vehicle the top performer in the Medium Car category.
ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg stated that the results highlight a growing industry shift toward integrated safety design, with improvements in technologies such as autonomous emergency braking and lane support translating into meaningful real-world protection.
“ANCAP’s testing continues to reinforce a clear message: the safest vehicles are those designed with safety as a system, not a checklist. The top performers this year delivered consistent results across physical crash protection, crash avoidance and vulnerable road user safety, rather than relying on strength in a single area.
“We are also seeing increasing alignment between ANCAP’s test requirements and the safety technologies that genuinely matter on Australian and New Zealand roads. Improvements in autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring systems are translating into more robust protection,” Hoorweg said.
Elon Musk’s xAI brings 1GW Colossus 2 AI training cluster online
Tesla AI5 chip nears completion, Elon Musk teases 9-month development cadence
