What you see here is quite possibly the first all-electric model that people might actually buy! It’s called the Hyundai Kona Electric and it comes to India via the CKD (completely knocked down) route with a price tag of Rs 25.3 lakh (ex-showroom). Some call it an SUV and some tag it as a crossover. What we can tell you is that it isn’t as big as or as tall as the Creta. But it sure is a size bigger than the Venue. However, it’s not the size that matters here. What’s impressive is the zero-emissions powertrain.

In international markets, the Kona Electric is available with two powertrain options – one with a 39.2kWh battery and the other with a 64kWh battery. To keep the asking price as attractive as possible, Hyundai India has launched the former version only. The battery pack powers a single electric motor which puts out 136PS/395Nm. According to ARAI, the Kona Electric has a range of up to 452km on a single charge. Hyundai claims that feeding the Kona Electric through a recommended fast charger can replenish 80 per cent of the battery’s capacity in less than an hour.

Over to the features. Kona Electric is a typical Hyundai product. What that means is that its list of features is quite extensive and it includes an electric sunroof, a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and voice recognition, multi-drive modes, a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, aerodynamically optimised 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic climate control and a funky multifunction steering wheel with paddle shifters, which are used to adjust battery recuperation levels.

Now to some more serious stuff. There’s no getting away from the fact that most of India’s cities and towns aren’t ready to support electric vehicles (EVs) like the Kona. While higher sticker prices of EVs is difficult to digest, the complete absence of charging infrastructure is the main issue. That’s why Hyundai is offering the Kona Electric is just 11 cities as of now, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai. As the infrastructure in other towns and cities grows, it will be introduced there as well.

The Hyundai Kona Electric is available in four single colours – white, silver, blue and black – and one dual-tone finish – white with black roof. The dual-tone colour option will cost an additional Rs 20,000. As far as the standard warranty is concerned, the Kona Electric comes with 3 years/unlimited km. For the battery, Hyundai is offering a cover of 8 years/1,60,000km.

India is set to receive more EVs in a couple of years. For instance, the Tata Altroz EV, Maruti Suzuki WagonR EV and the Mahindra eKUV100 are expected sometime next year. However, Kona Electric’s real competitor in India will be the MG eZS which will go on sale in December 2019.