I think this is what “want an EV, research it heavily” folks tend to end up with, where Teslas leans more “want an EV, don’t research it quite as heavily” crowd.
Not that either brand makes bad cars.
I just mean the Hyundai/Kia EVs are less “sexy” on the surface. Their charge and range is lower, but if you look into it, it’s an engineering compromise for faster charging. Hyundai isn’t a very “glamorous” brand, but their recent cars have been excellent, and if you actually look into Tesla, well… gestures at X. Lower end Teslas are priced somewhat attractively and tend to have better resale value than Hyundai at the moment, and it’s quite rational to assume “well, they’ve been making EVs longer.” But if you research it, Teslas have a more hidden costs over time, and even though some systems like the heatpumps are less refined than Teslas, Hyundai engineered the heck out of the car.
The only downside I know of with the Hyundai is that their single pedal driving controller interprets US law about braking strictly and does not turn on the brake lights unless you dump the pedal, engaging the brake rotors. So either just don’t use single pedal driving mode, or have faith that US drivers don’t drive distracted (this is an endorsement for not using Hyundai’s single pedal driving mode btw)
My wife’s Ioniq 6 turns on the brake lights when it is doing regeneration braking, so you are misinformed (unless it is a recent change; hers is a 2025). I can’t imagine that your version has ever been true, though.
I was behind a Tesla that stopped at a red light from ~40mph and the brake lights didn’t turn on until about 10 seconds after we had come to a complete stop. One pedal driving is broken in basically all of them.
It’s also not “necessary” for regen braking depending on your car. Early EVs (and AFAIK) current Teslas do not blend regen braking with the regular brakes, so you needed to use one pedal driving to get the most range. Modern, well made EVs blend the regen braking with conventional brakes on the same pedal, so you don’t have to use one pedal driving mode to get the most range.
I think this is what “want an EV, research it heavily” folks tend to end up with, where Teslas leans more “want an EV, don’t research it quite as heavily” crowd.
Not that either brand makes bad cars.
I just mean the Hyundai/Kia EVs are less “sexy” on the surface. Their charge and range is lower, but if you look into it, it’s an engineering compromise for faster charging. Hyundai isn’t a very “glamorous” brand, but their recent cars have been excellent, and if you actually look into Tesla, well… gestures at X. Lower end Teslas are priced somewhat attractively and tend to have better resale value than Hyundai at the moment, and it’s quite rational to assume “well, they’ve been making EVs longer.” But if you research it, Teslas have a more hidden costs over time, and even though some systems like the heatpumps are less refined than Teslas, Hyundai engineered the heck out of the car.
The only downside I know of with the Hyundai is that their single pedal driving controller interprets US law about braking strictly and does not turn on the brake lights unless you dump the pedal, engaging the brake rotors. So either just don’t use single pedal driving mode, or have faith that US drivers don’t drive distracted (this is an endorsement for not using Hyundai’s single pedal driving mode btw)
This is the snail pace of the NTHSA, made worse by Musk cuts. Also why headlights are dangerously blinding.
Motorcycles have a helmet brake light that works off a g-sensor.
My wife’s Ioniq 6 turns on the brake lights when it is doing regeneration braking, so you are misinformed (unless it is a recent change; hers is a 2025). I can’t imagine that your version has ever been true, though.
that’s great news! it looks like they started fixing this in 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0YW7x9U5TQ
here’s some context
Also their failing ICCUs. They keep trying to fix it, but people keep reporting it’s not fully solved.
so let’s ignore the 15 year warranty in that comment. List of US manufacturers that give 15 year warranties on any part:
-End of list-
Do you want to go out on road trip or just have your car randomly die and be unavailable for days? The warranty is great, but its still a problem.
Edit: the warranty is there because it is a problem, not because they’re being a great company and deciding to offer 15y on a part.
I was behind a Tesla that stopped at a red light from ~40mph and the brake lights didn’t turn on until about 10 seconds after we had come to a complete stop. One pedal driving is broken in basically all of them.
It’s also not “necessary” for regen braking depending on your car. Early EVs (and AFAIK) current Teslas do not blend regen braking with the regular brakes, so you needed to use one pedal driving to get the most range. Modern, well made EVs blend the regen braking with conventional brakes on the same pedal, so you don’t have to use one pedal driving mode to get the most range.
noted!
This is a feature to maximize EV resale value by getting you a big cash settlement when someone rear ends you.