Wondering if I could get a consensus of opinion from you folks. In these days of "stay at home" and "social distancing", I still have to make a 90 mile trip once a week to another state. While my destination is perfectly safe and the 180 miles is well within the Kona's range, I worry about mechanical (is that the right word?) trouble forcing me to seek assistance on the way or on the way back. Not knowing what businesses are open or closed and how much person to person interaction would be involved, I opt to play it safe and use my fossil pickup which would be easier to have serviced in the event of a breakdown. I guess my question is are my fears of getting stranded unfounded and can I have better faith in the car's dependability? It has 5,000 miles on it and I do have a portable jump starter, so a dead 12v battery shouldn't be an issue.
I don't see any reason for concern. I have done a 2200 mile road trip with no issues. I have never had the car not run. Occasionally I will get an anomalous collision avoidance warning but this never affect the ability to drive it. My take is that electric cars are generally more reliable than ICE cars. Since the car is relatively new I would not expect any problems. As long as you have access to charging I see no reason not to drive the EV
You have a valid point as to the availability of parts and service if you should need them. If you sleep better at night driving the fossil powered car, then drive it! As time goes by and more folks drive these vehicles, we will get a better idea as to the issues. As of today, we know that some cars are having problems with the motor; how bad this issue is, we don't know.
With no transmission and fewer moving parts, fluids, belts, pumps, and all else that is needed to power an ICE vehicle, I’d actually have less concern driving an EV. The remaining parts between the motor and the road are common to all vehicles and can be repaired at most stations. Plus, the Hyundai warranty is pretty good, especially on your new vehicle. Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
Since you only make this trip once a week, do what is least stressful for you. With gas prices so low, your pickup should be fine. However if the pickup goes down, you will be driving the electric. So why not drive the electric, as you should have free Hyundai 24/7 Roadside Assistance that you can call if something happens.
I don't think the current situation changes the answer from 2 months ago very much, and I don't think there's any question you would be better off with the Kona. Pretty sure in New England dealer service departments and most private garages are open as they are deemed to be essential. I assume towing services are the same. Of course in either alternative you are more likely to be stranded on weekends or at night. First of all, the Kona Electric seems to have a stellar reliability record. How many owners here have needed to get towed in to the dealer? Seems very rare. But of course there are no guarantees, however if the Kona breaks, the cost of the repairs are covered under the warranty. If your pickup breaks down, you are at the mercy of who knows who, and there's a real chance of getting ripped off. There's a chance you may end up waiting for parts in either alternative and need to rent a car in the interim or have someone pick you up. I assume you are probably in the Killingly area? Not sure where you are traveling to, but there's nowhere within 90 miles that is that remote. We are not talking about vast stretches of wilderness like in Montana or Wyoming Perhaps mapping out where the Hyundai dealers are between you and your destination might reduce your concerns.
I have about 26700 miles on my Kona with ZERO issues. While I drive less during those times, I still drive about 110 miles twice a week to see my parents who are 55 miles away from my home. I'd say that the chance of breaking down are very very slim. Even if you do, you are covered by Hyundai Roadside assistance. The car would be towed to the closest dealer and they would probably give you a loaner. That's really the worst case scenario..
Do Hyundai dealers have loaners available? I thought Hyundai and Kia dealers generally don't offer them.
I have never had my car at the dealer but I recall someone else on here who had a warranty issue fixed and they gave him an Elantra as loaner.. You won't get a Kona Electric as loaner but they should have another car available for you. Like I said, this is not first hand experience but I recall a post on this forum where they provided an Elantra while the car was in the shop.
I've had my car in twice now and both times gave me the Sante Fe as the loaner,... even though they sell electric cars. I asked for an electric loaner (they had a couple of Ioniqs), but no, they don't give those out.
