With a battery of 64 kWh and an advertised range (according to the WLTP cycle) of 484 km, there aren't many reasons to complain about the range of the Hyundai Kauai Electric.
Still, the South Korean brand decided to put it to the test and find out what is the maximum amount of autonomy that its electric crossover could achieve. And the result was a record autonomy for electric cars.
This “hypermiling” challenge featured three Hyundai Kauai Electric and the truth is that they all managed to surpass the 1000 km mark . The one that covered the least distance was the 1018.7 km covered with just one load, the next reached 1024.1 km and the record holder traveled 1026 km without needing to recharge.
This means that these Kauai Electric also set records for electrical consumption, with averages of, respectively, 6.28, 6.25 and 6.24 kWh/100 Km, a value much lower than the official 14.7 kWh/100 Km.
But how were these records achieved and under what conditions? In the next lines we explain it to you.
(almost) laboratory conditions
Held at the Lausitzring track, in Germany, this challenge lasted over three days and featured three teams of drivers who took turns a total of 36 times.
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Although the use of air conditioning is not prohibited, none of the teams used it. In the same way that none of the teams used the infotainment system that remained turned off throughout the entire challenge. The goal? Use all the energy available to just move the Kauai Electric.
As for the average speed achieved by the electric models of Hyundai, this remained between 29 and 31 km/h during the approximately 35 hours of driving recorded. Reduced values, but which, according to Hyundai, meet the average speed in urban traffic conditions.
During driver changes, they discussed among themselves the best way to increase the efficiency of their driving, “squeezing out all the energy stored in the batteries to the last drop”. From cruise control settings to the most efficient way of approaching the steep curves of the German circuit where the race took place.
According to Jürgen Keller, Executive Director of Hyundai Motor Deutchland, “With this test, the Kauai Electric has demonstrated its potential and efficiency as an eco-friendly lifestyle SUV”, adding “this proves its suitability for everyday use and shows that, when it comes to our electric vehicles, anxiety related to autonomy must be a thing of the past.”