I have a 2023 Hyundai Kona I bought last November. At 80% charge which is usually where I like to keep it, is has a range of roughly 200 miles. Usually this is just my daily commuter, and it's perfect for that. Have only taken a few longer trips where I had to DC fast charge. I don't even have L2 at home, the L1 has been fine for me. My son just went to university, about a 4 hour drive away. It's just beyond the distance I'm comfortable going on a full charge. After 2 trips there and back recently for orientation, I'm realizing this is likely to be a monthly road trip to visit. Had some terrible experiences with chargers along the way, with broken chargers, availability of chargers, and their location in some cases where it wasn't feasible to charge and easily walk to where we wanted to go. Most cities along the route have only 1 viable set of chargers. So, I'm seriously considering switching to a Tesla Model 3 long range. I wouldn't have to worry about charging along the way, it would be an optional nice to have, and if I need to charge I have more options. Now that you have some context where I'm coming from, any advice and considerations I should keep in mind making this decision? I don't do leases or loans, only purchase outright. Any insights on the best way to sell my 2023 Kona would be welcome as well, I don't know if Tesla does trade-ins or not. I was considering CarMax for selling the Kona. Thanks in advance!
I thought Tesla took trade-ins, however, I've also thought they don't offer as much as others. I would see what Carvana, Vroom and the local dealerships offer in addition the CarMax.
That is what I did with my 2017 Prius Prime. Convent, we drove the Prime to Nashville and drove back with the Tesla. Apparently the 'trade-in' reduced my sales tax on the Tesla. Bob Wilson
I'm surprised at how little range you're getting on your Kona. If 80% = 200 miles, you're getting slightly below the EPA figure of 258 for a full charge. Most Kona owners here report doing better than the EPA estimate. Personally, I've ranged from 285 to 350 miles on a full charge. I wonder if there's something you can address and save yourself the trouble of changing vehicles. Tire pressure, maybe? Obviously I don't know, but the range you report is shockingly low. Seems worth investigating.
The prices on Model 3 are certainly very good right now, especially if you qualify for the full $7,500 tax credit. If charging on this trip is your main consideration for choosing a car, then a M3 LR would certainly be the right car for it. Also, as Bob mentioned above, check with your state laws to see whether your sales tax is lessened by your trade-in value. It is in my state as well. One thing to keep in mind - as your son gets comfortable there, monthly trips to see him may become a little too often for him. My friends and I just went through all that stage in our lives, and I don't think any of us wound up visiting monthly. Good luck with the decision.
- Charge to 100% for road trips - Fully inflate your tires to 40 psi - Slow down. Efficiency decreases at higher speeds in all EVs - In winter, use seat heaters rather than heated air - In summer, use “driver only” for AC and don’t over refrigerate - Remove unneeded heavy items I can easily get 300+ miles on road trips in my Kona. And now, with an adapter you can charge at Tesla stations too. Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
The adapter won't be ready until sometime in 2024, Kia/Hyundai hasn't signed an agreement with Tesla yet, and don't count on MagicDock yet since they are only in a very, very few places like New York and California.
