Hyundai Kona Electric has embarked on a new mission today from Tibetan capital of Lhasa to Mount Everest Base Camp

Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) has flagged off ‘Mission – Emission Impossible’ today as the Kona Electric aims at becoming the first all-electric SUV to reach Mount Everest Base Camp from Lhasa, the capital of Tibet – one of the highest cities in the world at nearly 12,000 ft. By doing so, the zero-emission vehicle will become the first to master such a feat.

The South Korean auto major introduced the Kona Electric back in July 2019 and is currently priced at Rs. 23.86 lakh (ex-showroom) for the regular Premium variant while the dual-tone colour asks for nearly Rs. 20,000 extra. The electrified Kona broke into the international scenes following the success of the standard IC-engined Kona.

The crossover made its debut in the middle of 2017 while the electric version was launched in South Korea in the first half of the following year and it was rolled out gradually across the globe. Both the electric and regular Kona won the 2019 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year, the first for a subcompact crossover SUV in the award’s history back there.

In India, the 39.2 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack helps in delivering a maximum power output of 136 PS and 395 Nm of peak torque. The Kona Electric is claimed capable of reaching 100 kmph from zero in just 9.7 seconds and for convenience, the charging port is integrated into the front grille. The ARAI certified driving range stands at 452 km on a single charge.

The Kona EV can be replenished back to 80 per cent in just 57 minutes using a DC fast charger via CCS type II charging port and it can be found in select dealerships of Hyundai in major cities like Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai. The second-biggest carmaker in the country has partnered with IOCL to establish publish chargers.

Using a 7.2 kW level-II AC wall box charger installed in office or home, the Kona Electric takes up to 6 hours and 10 minutes to get fully charged and the 2.8 kW portable charger can be plugged into a normal wall socket and combined with the in-cable control box (ICCB), the charging time stands at 19 hours.