David Ball has had his Genesis GV70 for almost four years now and consented to share his ownership experience with me for the benefit of CleanTechnica readers. You will have met the car a few years ago when it was initially reviewed by Jo Borras. Genesis GV70 EV. Photo courtesy David Ball. David tells me that his Genesis GV70 Electrified is built on a multi-fuel platform. The fact that it is a sub-brand of Hyundai gave him and his wife the confidence to go electric. “Back in 2023, I thought, if we are going to change cars, let’s go electric. We looked at hybrids but didn’t want to have twice the maintenance of a Battery Electric Vehicle. I was driving a Mazda 6 wagon at the time. We like to travel, so we needed a car with a boot that would fit everything in. We also needed a car with a long range. If you can only charge to 80% and then recharge when you hit 20%, you only have an effective range of 60% of the battery. We needed range and space and there wasn’t that much choice at the time. “We went into the dealers three times to check out the Tesla Model Y. We didn’t like the glass roof and the plastic seats. My wife found the seat belts were ill fitting and kept cutting into her.” He is also a fan of physical buttons and knobs. David is a retired civil engineer and his wife a retired teacher. We actually worked together when we were both stationed in Charleville in the ’80s. “The Genesis, with its conventional dash lay out, really appealed to us. The dealer brought the car to our home and we did a dress rehearsal — putting our camping gear, boxes and suitcases in the back. Everything fit. We took the car for a drive around our local area. Overall, it was a great purchasing experience.” That being said, they ended up spending more than they had planned on the car. “We’ve never owned a luxury brand before. We are Kia people. The money up front is scary — but worth it in the long run. We budget to upgrade our car every 4 or so years. But the Genesis will probably be the last car we buy. Its expected longevity will justify its purchase price. And the 5 years free concierge service is exceptional. They pick the car up from home, leave a replacement, take our car away, and bring it back.” Software updates are done at the dealership. Though, David has had a go at updating his maps himself. Servicing is done annually. The cabin filters are changed and everything is checked. He has been assured that even after 5 years, he will still get the luxury concierge treatment. Genesis Dash — plenty of buttons and knobs. Photo courtesy David Ball. The Genesis GV70 cost AU$138,000. In comparison, the Tesla Long Range Model Y is AU$103,000 and the BMW i4 is AU$114,000 (with more money for extras). “I didn’t like the look of the BMW iX — a look that only a mother could love.” “I don’t want to stick out from the crowd,” he tells me. “There are other GV70s on the road and so I fit in. You can’t tell it’s an EV unless you notice the blanked-out grille and lack of exhaust pipes. Another advantage is that body parts from petrol GVs are available in case of an accident.” David and his wife have taken their Genesis GV70 down to Melbourne twice (a 4,500 km round trip). They try to use ultra-fast chargers (350 kWh) when they can, charging up in 10–20 minutes. Except at lunch time of course, when they are more relaxed. They have noticed the increase in charging availability and speed. They time their charging with breaks and driver swapping. David appreciates the way the car adjusts to each driver. “You log in and the car adjusts the seats, steering wheel and mirrors, selects the radio station, etc. You don’t have to spend time setting up the car each time you drive. This gives me enough time to set up my spreadsheet.” David records how long a trip takes, what it costs, and the amount of power used. He then bases the necessary charging stops by using this spreadsheet data. Genesis interior. Photo courtesy David Ball. He notes that there are many extra variables when planning a trip in an EV compared to his trips in petrol cars. “On my first trip in the Genesis the temperature was in the low thirties, second trip the maximum was 12 degrees. It evened out over the long run using about 23 kWh per 100 km. Driving around home the car consumes about 19 kWh.” Over the 44,000 km they have driven the car, the average is 19.6 kWh. David has solar at home to charge the car. He estimates that he has spent $1,100 on their trips to Melbourne using fast chargers. The rest of the charging has cost about $410 for 36,000 km. The car came with a home charger, which David installed in the middle of the garage. This serves his electric Kona also. Home charging station. Photo courtesy David Ball. One variable they both enjoy is one-pedal driving. The Genesis gives plenty of regen. They had to learn how to use it, but now they are hooked. David has long been interested in the environment, and this played a major role in the decision to go electric. He describes himself as a “bit of a greenie” and spent 6 years on the Council of the National Parks Association of Queensland, heading their corporate governance. David was a researcher and co-author of the original Queensland Road Safety Strategy in the early 1990s, so safety is important to him in both the road environment and the vehicle itself. Some of the Road Safety Strategy innovations included audible edge lines, wire rope barriers, and sealed and line-marked road shoulders, which are now fairly commonplace. The Genesis GV70 ticked a lot of boxes for both active and passive safety. David believes that it would be nearly impossible to suffer serious injury in the event of a crash in the Genesis, which has been evidenced by drivers’ experiences in the US. The Mazda 6 wagon is now being used by his children, who are also hoping to get the Genesis GV70 eventually. He tells me he also owned a Kia Cerato GT, which has been swapped out for the Kona premium. “I loved this car, but I see no future for petrol cars.” He is making a concerted effort to reduce his reliance on fossil fuels. Watching his feed-in tariff from his 5.2 kWh rooftop solar going to 2 cents a kWh helped him make the decision to use the car’s batteries to store the excess electricity. The Kona is a fully solar powered car. He also has a Tesla Powerwall. The Genesis GV70 Electrified only sells about one car per month in Australia. I asked about the reactions of family, friend, and colleagues. He told me: “Most people are super impressed with the luxury, the quiet cabin, the Nappa leather upholstery which is better than normal leather, the massage seats, which are great for long drives, the 14 position adjustments for driver’s and passenger’s seats.” The list goes on. “The navigation has an augmented display, which helps when navigating in unfamiliar locations. A white noise generator ensures that the cabin is quiet even when travelling at highway speeds. And if you want music the GV70 has a 14-speaker music system.” “The Genesis has low speed sound warnings and a reverse beeper. The car casts dotted lights on the road behind you so people know you are reversing. You can move the car in and out of parking spots by remote control. It’s more than just a battery car for the money.” The feature that impressed me the most was the Electronically Controlled Suspension with Road Preview (Preview ECS). “This system uses the forward-facing camera to scan the road ahead for speed bumps and potholes. It combines this visual data with GPS navigation info to proactively adjust the front and rear dampers before the tyres hit the bump.” ECS is very helpful when the family heads into the hinterland for a spot of bushwalking. David tells me that he doesn’t want to stand out, but readers will have probably noticed by now that both his cars are red. He tells me this is so when they are walking in the Australian bush, they can spot the red through the trees and this urges them on to the carpark and home. Electric Kona and Genesis. Photo courtesy David Ball. The future is bright and electric for this family who have embraced the BEV and solar lifestyle.
