Kiwi-favoured Kona EV pulled from home market

Hyundai has determined to keep exporting the five-seater, according to media reports from South Korea.

ONE of New Zealand’s most popular electric cars, the Hyundai Kona EV, has reportedly been withdrawn from sale, but only in its home market.

Media in South Korea are reporting today that Hyundai is discontinuing the model’s local availability, saying the decision to “phase the car out” locally is as a result of a massive recall due to a fire risk in the battery pack, an issue that first became public in news reports last October.

Yonhap News Agency reports that the car’s image has been tainted by a series of battery fires, which prompted the maker to recall more than 75,680 units in February jointly with battery maker LG Energy Solution Ltd.

They say the five-seater medium sport utility will continue to be built for export.

Comment about the situation and any implications for this market has been sought from the brand’s national distributor. 

Hyundai New Zealand has enjoyed great success with the model, which it introduced in 2018 and sells in $76,000 and $86,000 formats. It is poised to release a mid-life update variant with performance and range improvements plus styling and specification changes.

The fire danger issue for Kona EV also implicated the smaller Ioniq hatchback in its fully electric format and has made headlines in South Korea for some months. 

It was acknowledged by Hyundai New Zealand on February 25, a day after Hyundai Korea announcing intention to replace the batteries in 82,000 vehicles, the majority of them Konas, at cost of around $US900 million. It’s been called the biggest and most expensive recall for any electric car.

Since then Hyundai distributors around the world have progressively initiated recalls to undertake the intensive and time-consuming process of a battery swap, but it is still not clear if Hyundai NZ has started this process.

Last November it recalled 724 Kona EVs in NZ ownership – examples built between September 29, 2017, and March, 20, 2020 - having been advised by the factory that "the lithium-ion battery may have internal damage or the battery management system control software may cause an electrical short circuit after charging" which could result in a fire.

The immediate remedy for this was to change the battery management system and, if that did not work, Hyundai advised the same procedure it proposes for the global recall – pulling out the battery, a hefty and large item which completely fills out under the floor and is all but a structural component, and replacing it.

When last approached for comment, in late February, a spokesperson for the Auckland-based distributor said it was aware of the situation “however, (we) are waiting for official communication from Hyundai Motor Company with regards to this recall and the number of EVs affected here in New Zealand.

“Safety of our customers is paramount, so as soon as we have a list of affected vehicles we will contact those customers to advise next steps.”

As of mid-afternoon today, no action for the problem had been notified on the national new vehicle recalls register.

When the story broke, a major South Korean news outlet, Business Korea, reported 15 individual incidents of battery-related fires as having been recorded in Kona EVs. Similar fires have also been reported in Ioniq electric cars.

Since this matter first aired Hyundai has announced a new generation electric car, the Five, produced under a freshly-established sub-brand that it (confusingly) also calls Ioniq.

The Ioniq 5 will release in New Zealand late this year; it is a larger, more powerful car than the Kona EV and, being based on a new bespoke platform and having more technology, is expected to be rather more expensive.

Korean news agencies said today that Hyundai will from now on promote the Ioniq 5 as its primary electric offering in South Korea.

 Hyundai will only sell Kona EVs in stock for the domestic market, while continuing to export them to overseas markets, company officials said.

Yonhap reported that the production of Kona EVs has been halted since March “in consideration of the domestic demand and to realign the assembly line for new EVs."

Hyundai sold more than 10,000 Kona EVs in South Korea in 2018 and 2019, but sales dropped to about 8000 units last year following the fires and what Yonhap has described as “the maker's mishandling of the recall programme.”

Hyundai sold only 984 units in the domestic market in the first quarter, a 40 percent drop from a year earlier, while its overseas sales fell 17.9 percent on-year to 7428 units, its financial reports showed.

The brand has high hopes for Ioniq 5, saying it has received strong responses in the domestic market alone, drawing over 40,000 preorders so far.

Staria confirmed for NZ release

Hyundai here says it will take the big lugger, but offers few other details

 TWO, five and eight-seat configurations will apply in Kiwi market versions of the Hyundai Staria, a van whose styling is definitely out of the box.

 Aside from provisioning the seat counts – which suggest a pure commercial/speed camera version, plus two that will potentially set to act in family-sized people carrier and potentially a luxury minivan mode – Hyundai New Zealand is giving little away in respect to the model.

It says specifications for this market will be released closer launch, though the date for that is also undetermined. The best the Auckland-based distributor can offer is that arrival is due in “the second half of this year.”

Staria’s bold styling has attracted a lot of attention but so has its sheer size; the full length is 5.2 metres and it has a 3.2m wheelbase.

The chair configurations for this market seem to be different than those cited by Hyundai headquarters. They have also spoken of a seven-seater in a plush Premium layout, above, which offers reclining armchairs in the second and third row. They also configure an 11-seater. Hyundai NZ says that one is not on their wish list.

Insofar as powertrains go, it gets the 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel and 3.5-litre V6 petrol that serve in the super-sized Palisade sports utility, these respectively outputting 129kW and 431Nm and 199kW and 331Nm. 

There’s no suggestion that it is in line for the hybrid drivetrains that Hyundai has also developed, for Santa Fe.

Ute-like Santa Cruz reveal close

With the big debut days just away, Hyundai muddies the waters about what it has finally created.

WE’D be comfortable calling it a utility … but Hyundai is insisting its long-awaited Santa Cruz traydeck is something else.

 When pressed on what that makes it, though, they seem lost for words.

So goes the latest news in respect to a model that, after a remarkably long development process – remember, the concept was unveiled in Los Angeles six years ago – now seems close to entering production.

We’ll know a lot more later this week; Hyundai plans on Thursday to release a wealth of detail about its unibodied trucklet, including what markets will take it and when.

Will that include New Zealand? The brand’s distributor has sporadically expressed interest, but never outright said it’s in the queue.

Potentially it might be, given that information out of Hyundai North America, which has taken the lead on this project, suggests the vehicle is based on the latest Tucson, which is now coming into this market. 

Of course, that relationship only becomes meaningful if Santa Cruz is also built in left-hand-drive.

Anyway, ahead of the big reveal, Hyundai has released not only some images but also a video from its design studio in California talking about the new model. 

As you can see, the production has Brad Arnold, the design manager of Hyundai North America, stating it’s “not a truck” but instead is “… a Santa Cruz."

That proposition has gone down interestingly in the US, with leading website Autoblog summing up the situation well by commenting that, if it’s not what it appears to be, what does it become? Suggests the site: “So, um, it's a city? A skateboard brand? A school whose mascot is the banana slug?”

Turns out, Hyundai is striving to enforce this model is especially designed to fit into an environment a lot of outdoorsy utes sold in NZ also find themselves coping with. The city.

"It's meant to thrive in dense urban environments, and the open outdoors," Arnold states.

So it’s soft? Well, maybe. As Autoblog says, it’s based on the Tucson and no-one will confuse that model as being a hard-out off-roader, either.

Kona update lifts model choice, prices

Sporty looking N-Line a prelude to a properly fiery N yet to come.

 FRESHENED styling, more tech – and price increases.

That’s the story in respect the carryover editions in what’s being called Kona Series II, a mid-life update of the brand’s popular compact crossover that continues with familiar drivetrains but delivers a new family member that elevates optimal spend for a petrol edition.

The new equivalents of variants that have represented in the pre-facelift lineup and deliver with powertrains are the IVT, Elite IVT and Limited IVT.

These respectively price at $34,990, $39,990 and $44,990.

This means the cheapest and most expensive variants are $3000 dearer than previously, while the mid-grade lifts by $2000. 

These model all run with a 2.0-litre engine, making 110kW and 180Nm, paired with a constantly variable transmission with eight pre-set steps and are front-drive. 

Above these places a new configuration, the Kona N-Line, which adopts a sports styling package absent from the cheaper cars and also has a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol, married to a seven-speed automated manual. 

The N-Line achieves specific signatures of bonnet vents on the nose, a “motorsport-inspired” front end, body colour claddings, a larger rear spoiler and diamond-cut wheels.

This 146kW/265Nm version costs $49,990 and will stand as a fossil fuelled flagship only temporarily, as Hyundai NZ has signalled it will ultimately also represent with the Kona N – a high performance variant expected before year-end.  

The first SUV to be reworked by Hyundai’s  N Division, the Kona N achieves a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, in marriage to an eight-speed dual clutch transmission – and potentially, might deliver in front- rather than four-wheel-drive.

It’s the same engine that serves the brand’s current sole N division emissary in New Zealand, the i30 N, and while outputs have yet to be announced, it's likely they will match the 206kW and 392Nm the hot hatch delivers.

Hyundai has previously promised the powertrain will be flavoured by a launch control and a sports exhaust.

Hyundai NZ has also yet to receive the updated Kona Electric, which adopts the same altered styling cues seen on the petrol-wed cars and delivers with an electric powertrain that gives more range and better performance than the current car’s.

The present electric model has been subject to concern about the integrity of its battery, with the brand effecting a recall in many markets. 

The Series II gets a new front-end design. There are redesigned narrow LED daytime running lights above the separate headlight cluster and wheel arch cladding contrasting with the body colour. The rear end is also restyled, though less radically than the front. 

Inside is a new console area and it achieves an electric parking brake, ambient lights, aluminium finishing around the speakers and air vents and a leather option. 

New to this model is the option of a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster. In addition, the new Kona also comes with an optional 10.25-inch touchscreen multimedia system.

Safety and driver assist ingredients run to active cruise control, lane-keep assist, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot collision avoidance assist, rear cross-traffic alert and safe exit warning to forward collision avoidance assist with optional cyclist detection.

It picks up leading vehicle departure alert, which alerts a driver as to when a stationary vehicle in front has moved on.

Santa Fe and Sorento: Same yet different

The latest editions of the Hyundai and Kia large SUVs are still twins, but far from identical – particularly on the inside.

the Hyundai Santa Fe (above) and Kia Sorento are classic examples of badge engineering.

 I CAN just imagine the discussions that took place between two design teams during development of the latest Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento medium-sized sport utilities.

Hyundai: “We’re typically regarded as the more luxurious marque, so we want our interior to reflect that.”

Kia: “We’re typically regarded as the sportier and more youthful brand, so our interior should reflect that.”

To all intents and purposes the Santa Fe and Sorento are the same vehicle. They’re built on the same platform, share the same powertrains, and their base exterior designs are the same. And although they are built at different South Korean assembly plants – the Hyundai at Ulsan and the Kia at Hwaseong  - they were no doubt also developed within sight of each other at the sprawling Hyundai Kia Automotive Group research and development centre at NamYang, in South Korea.

But the two vehicles are different, particularly when viewed from the inside. In there, it is the Sorento that indeed exudes the more youthful look, while it is the Santa Fe that is indeed the more grown-up and luxurious.

It’s called badge engineering – but it’s not as we used to know it.

The term had its origins in the days – as far back as 1917, in fact - when, in an effort to spread vehicle development costs, manufacturers would simply replace a car’s badging to create a new model that would be sold by a different brand. Such as swapping the badges of a Mazda 323 hatch and calling it a Ford Laser, for instance. Or in more recent times, changing the badges of an Opel Senator or Insignia and calling it a Holden Commodore.

The Sorento is larger, its wheelbase and body is longer, which translates to superior interior load space.

These days, in many instances the badge engineering has progressed far beyond simply swapping logos. Exterior styling between closely related vehicles can be considerably different, interiors can be unique, and ride and handling characteristics can be engineered to suit the particular needs of each particular vehicle.

Outstanding modern-day examples of all of this are the Santa Fe and the Sorento. And the best way to illustrate it all is to study their respective centre consoles – those areas that house all the control bearing surfaces ranging from infotainment to climate controls to gearshifts.

At the top level – the Santa Fe Limited and the Sorento Premium – the vehicles are powered by the same 2.2-litre turbocharged diesel mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic operated via a shift-by-wire selector.

But the vehicles require different techniques to do the gear selecting. In the case of the Santa Fe the selector is a push-button thing with Reverse, Neutral and Drive in a top-to-bottom line, with Park (the electronic park brake) to one side. The Sorento’s selector is a rotary device with R, N and D in a left-to-right sequence with the P button in the centre.

The differences continue through the respective centre consoles. In the Kia, the audio and air conditioning controls are located between two air vents in the dash area immediately below a tablet-style infotainment screen, while in the Hyundai the controls are laid out in an orderly fashion slightly north of the gear selector.

There are numerous other differences in the centre console designs, and they all point towards the same design conclusion – that the Santa Fe should be seen as the more premium SUV, the Sorento as the more informal choice.

So which is best? Well, firstly I have to say that both interiors are very good, outstanding examples of how things can be the same but different. Study both interior designs closely and it is obvious that almost all the controls are essentially in shared locations, but their design and application are unique.

Hyundai’s interior is different to the Kia’s, not least when it comes to the gear selector design. This is the Santa Fe …. Rob didn’t like it.

…. here’s the Kia. And, again, a gear selector that failed to impress.

But as for the electronic gear selectors? Frankly, I don’t like either.  I much prefer the sense of motoring involvement that comes via the use of a gearstick. Isn’t that ironic? It doesn’t seem that long ago that we were all moaning about the demise of manual gearshifts. Now I find myself moaning about the demise of auto gearshifters.

Mind you, there’s no denying the intelligence of the electronic transmissions. Our home has a short sloping driveway that requires us to reverse out of. When I had the Santa Fe for road test I initially found I was unable to select reverse gear and move off, because the Hyundai refused to disengage the electric park brake. It took a little while for me to realise this would not happen until we had clicked the driver’s seat belt in place.

Of course the same intelligence is aboard the Sorento, because they share the same transmission. In fact with both vehicles you are not allowed to move off in Drive either unless you have the driver’s seatbelt clicked in place.

Other differences between the two? While it is obvious the base design is the same, there are major differences in nose and tail design. The Sorento is larger, its wheelbase (2815mm versus 2765mm) and body is longer, which translates to superior interior load space. I believe that, to the uninitiated, the Santa Fe and Sorento have to be regarded as entirely different SUVs.

They’re both contributing solidly to their brands’ sales efforts, too.

As at the end of February Kia was running second beyond Toyota in passenger vehicle and SUV sales with a 13 percent share, while Hyundai was in sixth place with seven percent. But of these two medium-sized SUVs, it was the Santa Fe that was the dominant performer, sitting in 10th place with 338 sales.

That was a sound result for an SUV that sells for as much as $89,990 as a Limited – which is $13,000 more than the Sorento Premium. Could that be because customers prefer the more premium look of the Santa Fe to the extent they are prepared to pay the extra dollars? Or, does the Hyundai look more premium both inside and out than the Kia Equivalent?

After looking at the photographs accompanying this article, you be the judge.

Covers pulled from Staria

Get a load of this …. Hyundai’s spaceship-styled Staria is fully revealed.

NO word yet from Hyundai in New Zealand, but with other markets – including Australia – indicating they’re starters, the star signs are surely looking good for this dramatic looking next-generation people-mover making a local debut. 

The Staria is touted as a replacement for the iMax, the passenger version of the iLoad van, and in that people-provisioning format it will be built in seven-seater and nine-seater variants, with a luxury Premium edition billed in the latter format.

After sharing teaser images last week, Hyundai has now properly revealed the model and offered unexpurgated viewing of its mono-cell body.

The Premium version seen here is wearing a '3.5' badge. Does this mean its powertrain could be borrowed from the recently-released Santa Fe, offering 200kW and 332Nm via an eight-speed torque-converter automatic?

A turbo diesel is likely to be offered in entry-level Staria models, and could use a version of the Santa Fe's 148kW/440Nm 2.2-litre four-cylinder, or potentially the 137kW/416Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder borrowed from the new-generation Tucson, also incoming to NZ soon.

Hyundai dealers in Australia have been told all-wheel-drive versions may be available. That’s of relevance here; our markets often share common models.

It’s thought the Staria, and the next-gen iLoad, will ditch the current generations’ rear-wheel drive layout for a front-drive monocoque platform.

The passenger version will incorporate independent coil rear suspension whereas the commercial editions are on a solid leaf-sprung rear axle.

Hyundai says the interior has been inspired by the lounge of a cruise ship, hence the enormous dark-tinted panoramic windows.

Staria will be offered in multiple seating configurations, with bench seat options in lower-spec variants taking up to 11 occupants. That latter provision comes with a model with four rows of seats that will apparently only sell in South Korea.

The top-spec variants will have individual arm rest for front and middle row passengers. Captain seats, with 180 degree swivelling function in the second row, will also have ottoman and recline function.

Infotainment will come from a centrally-mounted 10.25-inch screen, and the driver will be greeted with a digital instrument cluster and a button-type shift lever.

Staria – Hyundai’s stunning space shuttle

It’s intended to look like a spaceship visiting from another star system.

AS much as sports utility vehicles and crossovers have become Hyundai’s bread and butter in this market, the maker has not lost hope in there being a market for people carriers.

In that vein, Seoul given allowed a sneak peek at what it prefers to call a minivan that is production bound and potentially accessible to Hyundai New Zealand.

That’s wholly conjecture, though. Every piece of info about Staria has come from head office in South Korea. Hyundai NZ has not said a word.

 Fair to suggest the Staria is far more futuristic and interesting-looking than your average MPV.

Even the latest Kia Carnival, which has just landed here and would conceivably be considered a rival, is made to look quite old-fashioned.

For its part, Hyundai isn’t shy about supporting thought that the Staria is very much a future-now vehicle, probably vying to be the most outrageous and extrovert offer in the large MPV category since the Renault Espace and Avantime.

Indeed, in blurb sent out with these images it is bold enough to outright state the vehicle has a spaceship-like exterior design.

Certainly, it is bold: American website AutoBlog sums up well in describing Staria as looking as though it was “beamed to 2021 from 2121.”

 The styling highlights are numerous. The heavily raked windscreen and boxy monobox elements deliver a tie to the Ioniq 5 electric car that is coming here later this year.

The head-turning front end is characterised by an LED light bar that stretches across the entire fascia and headlights positioned at about the same level as the wheels. They're integrated into an extra-wide grille with bright mesh inserts. The tail lights are made up of individual dots that look like pixels; a signature also of the Ioniq 5. 

The short overhangs hint at an expansive wheelbase to maximise interior space. The dashboard is dominated by a centre-mounted touchscreen for the infotainment system and it appears there's no driver's display behind the steering wheel. The gear selector is a set of buttons, positioned right below the screen; the same layout already used by the Santa Fe.

The version in the images is a flagship model, designated the Premium, so it’s all about luxury. For instance, rear passengers travel on individual seats with retractable footrests. How much plusher it is to the standard fitout is a mystery, as that has yet to be seen. But you’d imagine there will be one better suited to the school run.

Kona N unveiled – pretty much

Seoul has just sent out these images of its upcoming performance SUV. Thoughts?

GETTING excited by the prospect of a performance flagship version of Hyundai’s Kona sports utility?

Maybe these photos will further fuel that enthusiasm.

 These are the first images of the car without camouflage, and though they are not exactly fully unexpurgated reveals, they do give a good idea of what to expect from a model set to land, probably later this year, with a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, in marriage to an eight-speed dual clutch transmission – and potentially, in front- rather than four-wheel-drive format.

It’s the same engine that serves the brand’s current sole N division emissary in New Zealand, the i30 N, and while outputs have yet to be announced, it's likely they will match the 206kW and 392Nm the hot hatch delivers.

Hyundai has previously promised the powertrain will be flavoured by a launch control and a sports exhaust.

The Kona N provides the first opportunity for the make’s N Division and the Hyundai Design Centre to work together on this kind of body type, and as the images released from South Korea today enforce, the ‘hot SUV’ ideal is being taken seriously.

 The car has a wider and lower stance than the donor and, accordingly, “clearly

represents a powerful presence and driving fun,” the maker says.

The front view is dominated by large, sporty and “iconic” air intakes, and the new light signature lends an aggressive, powerful appearance, the brand contends.

The lower grille defines the character of the bumper fascia; “its shape is inspired by an aeronautic fuselage and extends to the side of the car, emphasising its aerodynamic efficiency and speed. An N logo on the unique upper grille completes the look.”

At the rear, a large double-wing roof spoiler for enhanced downforce gives spice to the rear view. It also incorporates a third, triangular brake light, as is customary with N models. 

Large N dual exhaust mufflers fully express the high-performance spirit, according to today’s release.

“Lower down on the rear bumper, a large diffuser enhances the airflow departure. The sporty appearance is further emphasised through body-coloured fenders, bringing Kona N visually closer to the ground.”

Exclusive alloy wheels and red accents embellishing the side sills are exclusive N signatures.

Ioniq 5 taking off – other EVs recall status pending

Hyundai New Zealand is focusing on the positives of its battery charge; but where does that leave Kona and Ioniq EV owners?

NZ interest in the Ioniq 5 coming in the second part of 2021 has been immediate.

 KIWI interest in the latest Hyundai electric car since its reveal a week ago is being celebrated by the brand’s distributor – however, it has still to reconcile an issue tied to two battery-dedicated models already here.

In respect to the Ioniq Five, which made its global reveal on February 23 the first product from the Korean giant’s new electric sub-brand, Hyundai New Zealand says pre-orders have opened for a futuristic model set to land in the second part of the year and that the count has reached double figures.

Spokesman woman Kimberley Waters later clarified this to “20 pre-orders” since a specific webpage went live two days ago. Many more EV enthusiasts have sought information.

HNZ asks for a $500 deposit with each pre-order, but says that will be fully refundable if the intending buyer has a change of mind.

No price has been established for the five-seater medium crossover, the first model built on Hyundai Motor Group’s new dedicated architecture for battery electric vehicles, called Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), and the New Zealand market specification is not yet clear. The car’s drawcard elements include eco-friendly materials of its interior design, to ultra-fast charging and vehicle-to-load function.

“We are really pleased by the initial interest in the IONIQ 5. Our team and dealer network are really excited about bringing this EV into New Zealand, and it seems many other EV enthusiasts are too,” says Andy Sinclair, Hyundai NZ’s general manager.

“In a matter (of) days we’ve had a large volume of people register their interest to hear more about this vehicle, as well as pre-orders.”

Ioniq Five’s roll out has timed with a big challenge for Hyundai and its sales agencies – the need to recall electric Kona SUV and Ioniq hatchback cars built since 2018 to replace their battery packs and battery management systems.

This requirement is triggered by fears of a potential fire risk.

 Many countries have already initiated a recall. Waters says HNZ has yet to receive an official notification from Seoul.

“We have still not received official notification from Hyundai Motor Company, so until we have full details regarding the recall campaign we are unable to fully initiate our recall process here in New Zealand.

“One of the first steps in the recall process is to notify/inform Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and the CEO of the Motor Industry Association, and then begin communicating with customers with affected vehicles.

“When that happens, the recall will appear on the Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency recall website.“

Hyundai NZ says it is still awaiting official notification of need to recall the Kona EV and Ioniq EV hatch.

Remedial action that Hyundai Motors has said is required is a massive and expensive job; 82,000 electric vehicles are drawen in – the majority being Kona EVs, but the fully-electric version of the Ioniq hatch (sold here) is also involved, as are some buses (not sold here). 

The remedy is a complete replacement of the lithium-ion battery that feeds the cars’ electric propulsion. The total to Hyundai Motor is estimated to be at least $NZ1.2 billion, making it the most expensive EV recall ever.  

According to the Korea Herald newspaper, Hyundai will begin the replacement process at the end of this month March in the domestic market and from April in overseas markets.

It proposes a major logistical issue for the brand’s  overseas’ agencies as the batteries will have to be shipped by sea and then fitted locally, once the subject cars have been divested of the original items, which will also require safe disposal. New Zealand does not have facility for disassembly of such batteries.

It said the battery system subject to the replacement was manufactured by South Korea’s No.1 battery maker LG Energy Solutions, between November 2017 and March 2020. LG Energy is a key affiliate of the country’s leading chemical firm LG Chem Ltd, it said.

Another Korean news outlet, Business Korea, reported recently that since its launch in 2018, the Kona EV has suffered a total of 15 fires — 11 in South Korea and four overseas. Fires have also been reported in Ioniqs, and on February 15, in a Hyundai electric bus. No fires have been reported in New Zealand.

Three previous recall for the Kona are listed on the NZTA website, one specific to the EV, issued in October. This was an issue with the battery system that might also lead to a fire. The recall proposed a software update as a primary measure to address the issue. In at least one case, a NZ-new car required a complete battery change.

The owner of that car, which returned to the road last month after 68 days in an accredited workshop, has spoken with MotoringNZ. He is unsure if the replacement is of the same kind that requires replacement or if it has an improved battery.

 Hyundai gives its full EVs an eight warranty on the battery; conceivably that would refresh with a replacement.