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!
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Tesla Giga Berlin draws “red line” over IG Metall union’s 35-hour week demands
Factory manager André Thierig has drawn a “red line” against reducing Giga Berlin’s workweek to 35 hours, while highlighting that Tesla has actually increased its workers’ salaries more substantially than other carmakers in the country.
Tesla Giga Berlin has found itself in a new labor dispute in Germany, where union IG Metall is pushing for adoption of a collective agreement to boost wages and implement changes, such as a 35-hour workweek.
In a comment, Giga Berlin manager André Thierig drew a “red line” against reducing Giga Berlin’s workweek to 35 hours, while highlighting that Tesla has actually increased its workers’ salaries more substantially than other carmakers in the country.
Tesla factory manager’s “red line”
Tesla Germany is expected to hold a works council election in 2026, which André Thierig considers very important. As per the Giga Berlin plant manager, Giga Berlin’s plant expansion plans might be put on hold if the election favors the union. He also spoke against some of the changes that IG Metall is seeking to implement in the factory, like a 35-hour week, as noted in an rbb24 report.
“The discussion about a 35-hour week is a red line for me. We will not cross it,” Theirig said.
“(The election) will determine whether we can continue our successful path in the future in an independent, flexible, and unbureaucratic manner. Personally, I cannot imagine that the decision-makers in the USA will continue to push ahead with the factory expansion if the election results favor IG Metall.”
Giga Berlin’s wage increase
IG Metall district manager Jan Otto told the German news agency DPA that without a collective agreement, Tesla’s wages remain significantly below levels at other German car factories. He noted the company excuses this by referencing its lowest pay grade, but added: “The two lowest pay grades are not even used in car factories.”
In response, Tesla noted that it has raised the wages of Gigafactory Berlin’s workers more than their German competitors. Thierig noted that with a collective agreement, Giga Berlin’s workers would have seen a 2% wage increase this year. But thanks to Tesla not being unionized, Gigafactory Berlin workers were able to receive a 4% increase, as noted in a CarUp report.
“There was a wage increase of 2% this year in the current collective agreement. Because we are in a different economic situation than the industry as a whole, we were able to double the wages – by 4%. Since production started, this corresponds to a wage increase of more than 25% in less than four years,” Thierig stated.
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Tesla is seeing a lot of momentum from young Koreans in their 20s-30s: report
From January to November, young buyers purchased over 21,000 Teslas, putting it far ahead of fellow imported rivals like BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
Tesla has captured the hearts of South Korea’s 20s-30s demographic, emerging as the group’s top-selling imported car brand in 2025. From January to November, young buyers purchased over 21,000 Teslas, putting it far ahead of fellow imported rivals like BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
Industry experts cited by The Economist attributed this “Tesla frenzy” to fandom culture, where buyers prioritize the brand over traditional car attributes, similar to snapping up the latest iPhone.
Model Y dominates among young buyers
Data from the Korea Imported Automobile Association showed that Tesla sold 21,757 vehicles to the 20s-30s demographic through November, compared to BMW’s 13,666 and Mercedes-Benz’s 6,983. The Model Y led the list overwhelmingly, with variants like the standard and Long Range models topping purchases for both young men and women.
Young men bought around 16,000 Teslas, mostly Model Y (over 15,000 units), followed by Model 3. Young women followed a similar pattern, favoring Model Y (3,888 units) and Model 3 (1,083 units). The Cybertruck saw minimal sales in this group.
The Model Y’s appeal lies in its family-friendly SUV design, 400-500 km range, quick acceleration, and spacious cargo, which is ideal for commuting and leisure. The Model 3, on the other hand, serves as an accessible entry point with lower pricing, which is valuable considering the country’s EV subsidies.
The Tesla boom
Experts described Tesla’s popularity as “fandom culture,” where young buyers embrace the brand despite criticisms from skeptics. Professor Lee Ho-geun called Tesla a “typical early adopter brand,” comparing purchases to iPhones.
Professor Kim Pil-soo noted that young people view Tesla more as a gadget than a car, and they are likely drawn by marketing, subsidies, and perceived value. They also tend to overlook news of numerous recalls, which are mostly over-the-air software updates, and controversies tied to the company.
Tesla’s position as Korea’s top import for 2025 seems secured. As noted by the publication, Tesla’s December sales figures have not been reported yet, but market analysts have suggested that Tesla has all but secured the top spot among the country’s imported cars this year.
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Tesla FSD fleet is nearing 7 billion total miles, including 2.5 billion city miles
As can be seen on Tesla’s official FSD webpage, vehicles equipped with the system have now navigated over 6.99 billion miles.
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) fleet is closing in on almost 7 billion total miles driven, as per data posted by the company on its official FSD webpage.
These figures hint at the massive scale of data fueling Tesla’s rapid FSD improvements, which have been quite notable as of late.
FSD mileage milestones
As can be seen on Tesla’s official FSD webpage, vehicles equipped with the system have now navigated over 6.99 billion miles. Tesla owner and avid FSD tester Whole Mars Catalog also shared a screenshot indicating that from the nearly 7 billion miles traveled by the FSD fleet, more than 2.5 billion miles were driven inside cities.
City miles are particularly valuable for complex urban scenarios like unprotected turns, pedestrian interactions, and traffic lights. This is also the difference-maker for FSD, as only complex solutions, such as Waymo’s self-driving taxis, operate similarly on inner-city streets. And even then, incidents such as the San Francisco blackouts have proven challenging for sensor-rich vehicles like Waymos.
Tesla’s data edge
Tesla has a number of advantages in the autonomous vehicle sector, one of which is the size of its fleet and the number of vehicles training FSD on real-world roads. Tesla’s nearly 7 billion FSD miles then allow the company to roll out updates that make its vehicles behave like they are being driven by experienced drivers, even if they are operating on their own.
So notable are Tesla’s improvements to FSD that NVIDIA Director of Robotics Jim Fan, after experiencing FSD v14, noted that the system is the first AI that passes what he described as a “Physical Turing Test.”
“Despite knowing exactly how robot learning works, I still find it magical watching the steering wheel turn by itself. First it feels surreal, next it becomes routine. Then, like the smartphone, taking it away actively hurts. This is how humanity gets rewired and glued to god-like technologies,” Fan wrote in a post on X.
Tesla Giga Berlin draws “red line” over IG Metall union’s 35-hour week demands
Tesla is seeing a lot of momentum from young Koreans in their 20s-30s: report
