Hyundai’s Kona Electric has been acknowledged as the Best Small Family Car in the inaugural TopGear Electric Awards, after it showcased its strengths on a 1600km road trip across nine European countries.

Hyundai’s fully electric SUV was not only commended for its efficiency and long distance capability but also for its smooth and effortless performance.

During the 24 hour long drive which took place late in 2019, BBC TopGear magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Charlie Turner used the European rapid charger network to supply the Kona Electric with 316kWh of electricity, choosing to only charge to 80 per cent capacity in order to maximise driving time.

In total, nine countries were visited with the trip starting in the Czech Republic and the 1600km drive taking in Austria, Lichtenstein, Switzerland, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Holland and Belgium.

Turner said: “Whilst we find ourselves in lockdown, having the freedom to travel through as many countries as you want is the stuff of distant dreams. It’s reassuring, however, to know that as electrification becomes an ever growing part of our vehicular future, cars like Kona Electric can already deliver and whilst most won’t cover the miles in the way we did, we’ve proved that range anxiety shouldn’t play a part in long-distance travel.”

In New Zealand, 395 electric Konas were sold in 2019 and 84 have been registered so far this year. Kona Electric is the second largest selling EV in New Zealand, after the Tesla Model 3.