Will be powered at least partly with renewable energy.
It’s finally happening. After months of watching the Hyundai Kona Electric being dispatched to other territories, the first U.S. delivery has taken place. In a small ceremony yesterday at The Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center in Baltimore, Maryland, the pediatric oncologist who leads his department had his all-electric crossover handed over.
More details are expected to be released soon, but if Hyundai is following the same path as in other markets, the “Ultimate” will be the first trim level available. That variant starts at $44,650, while the “Limited” begins at $41,150. The most affordable trim, the SEL package, has a base price of $36,450 .
Hyundai and John Hopkins have a history together. The automaker has donated over $2 million for cancer research there via its Hope On Wheels program. That includes $500,000 for grants toward pediatric cancer research this past September.
Whether this means the floodgates will open and sales will begin in the other so-called ZEV states — California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont — remains to be seen, but we expect they will be starting shortly, if not right away. Apparently, this first shipment arrived at port about a week ago. If you’re interested in the car and don’t live in one of those states, it may be possible to arrange for its purchase through your local dealer. Just don’t expect them to carry inventory.
While electric vehicles are, of course, more environmentally-friendly than their gas-guzzling cousins, this particular Kona Electric, we understand, will be going to a home that gets most of its energy from renewable sources. The doctor is not new to electric vehicle ownership, having already owned an EV for the past seven years.
There should be more details on the way and we’ll update this post as we get them.
Source: Electric Vehicle News
