Hyundai unveils its first production electric Ioniq 5 with ultra-fast charging
Hyundai unveiled its latest electric vehicle. The company has resisted the temptation to start with an SUV like General Motors’ revived GMC Hummer or a handsome sedan in the spirit of the Porsche Taycan, although similar vehicles are also in the works. Instead, the Ioniq brand will first launch the most requested car – a mid-size crossover. This stylish Ioniq 5 will also be the first electric car to be powered by Hyundai’s new E-GMP platform.
The production Ioniq 5 looks remarkably similar to the 45 concepts that preceded it. At first glance, it seems that he embodies the angular images of the hatchbacks popular in the late 1980s. But in reality, only the proportions are similar: the Ioniq 5 is about the same size as the best-selling Toyota RAV4 crossover. Behind large 20-inch wheels, short front and rear overhangs, a 3-meter wheelbase is hidden, making it possible to realize a very spacious interior.
Apart from the large space and flat floor, there are other surprises in the interior. The center console can be moved back up to 140 mm. This makes it easier to transfer from the front passenger seat to the driver’s seat while also giving rear passengers more convenient access to the console with its USB ports and wireless charging.
The front seats can be folded back a lot, and there’s even a retractable footrest, although obviously, the driver’s seat won’t allow this while the car is in motion. Hyundai said it had made the front seats 30% thinner to increase rear space. The rear seats also move forward and backward by 135mm to expand the luggage compartment. Environmentally friendly materials such as recycled plastics and natural fibers are widely used in decoration.
In terms of batteries, the Ioniq 5 offers two options: 58 kWh or 77.4 kWh (72.6 kWh for all markets except the US). There are also two transmission options—the first – with one rear engine with 215 hp. and a torque of 350 Nm. The second is an all-wheel-drive with a total power output of 231 hp. A battery with a smaller capacity or 301 hp for a more capacious battery. In both all-wheel-drive versions of the Ioniq 5, the torque is 605 Nm.
As a result, the car is fast but not striking. It accelerates to 100 km / h from 5.2 to 8.5 seconds, depending on the configuration. Hyundai has provided only one range estimate so far for a rear-wheel-drive configuration with a 72.6 kWh battery: 470-480 km in WLTP test mode.
Like the aforementioned GMC and Porsche electric vehicles, the Ioniq 5 uses an 800-volt electrical circuit, which means, among other things, that the car is capable of high-speed charging – in 18 minutes from 10% to 80% when connected to a 350 kW high-speed charger. Four hundred volt DC chargers are more common, but the Ioniq 5 can make good use of them too: the motor and inverter double the voltage to quickly charge the battery.
By the way, the Ioniq 5 can also operate as a remote AC power source with up to 3.6 kW. The electric car will go into production this year, and deliveries to the US will begin in the fall. It will be followed by the Ioniq 6 sedan ( based on the Prophecy concept ), followed by the Ioniq 7 large electric SUV.
