The Hyundai Motor Group has announced in December 2020, its ambitious plan of incorporating 23 BEVs into its global portfolio by 2025. The U.S. market will play a major role in this blitz, which is why Hyundai Motor Group has a line up 7 EVs in the coming months. This includes Hyundai Ioniq 5 (already launched), Ioniq 6, Kia EV6 and Niro EV (new model) and Genesis GV60, GV70 Electrified and G80 Electrified models. Let us dive into what each of these models has in store for the American market.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 (new variants & wider availability)
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is available for sale in the U.S. at the moment only for reservation holders, and the orders are yet to reopen. The deliveries of Hyundai Ioniq 5 had commenced in the U.S. in December 2021, and 153 units have already been received by the first customers. In 2022, added variants and expanded availability are expected for the U.S. market. For instance, Hyundai has listed the Standard Range variant, but is yet to announce specifications, which it should confirm this year.
More variants are in the pipeline for the Ioniq 5, including a potential ‘N’ variant (rendered), and a self-driving taxi. Image: Kleber Silva/KDesign AG
The Ioniq 5 is Hyundai’s first all-electric model based on the dedicated E-GMP platform. It comes in three variants in the U.S., Standard Range RWD, Long Range RWD and Long Range AWD.
For the U.S. market, the Standard Range comes with a 58 kWh battery pack and an electric motor that produces 125 kW (168 hp) and 258 lb-ft (to be confirmed) with an EPA-est. range of 220 miles. The Long Range RWD version carries a 77.4 kWh battery pack with the electric motor making 168 kW (225 hp) and 258 lb-ft and an EPA-est. range of up to 303 miles. The Long Range AWD features the same battery pack but two motors, one at the front and one at the rear, together with developing 238 kW (320 hp) and 446 lb-ft and an EPA-est. range of 256 miles.
The E-GMP platform supports 400 V and 800 V charging infrastructures. With a Level-2 (240 V) AC charger, it takes 6 hours 43 minutes to charge from 10% to 100% SoC. The 150 kW (400 V) DC fast charger can top up the battery from 10% to 80% in just 25 minutes and the >250 kW (800 V) DC fast charger does the same in mere 18 minutes.
The prices of the Ioniq 5 start at $39,700 MSRP but with the $7,500 tax credit, the starting price dips to a significantly more attractive $33,200. Note that the destination charge of $1,225 is on top of this price.
Hyundai Ioniq 6
The Hyundai Ioniq 6 is a mid-size sedan EV based that should debut in the first half of the year. While the official information on the specifications are not available, it is expected to come with the 77.4 kWh battery pack (same as Ioniq 5) with an estimated range of around 311 miles. The electric sedan would offer RWD and AWD versions. The former variant could be powered by a single electric motor making around 160 kW (215 hp), whereas the AWD would come with a dual-motor setup with a combined output of about 230 kW (308 hp).
The Ioniq 6 was confirmed for the U.S. market back in 2020. Image: Hyundai
The Hyundai Ioniq 6 could cost around $45,000 before the government incentives in the U.S. market, rivaling the Tesla Model 3.
Kia EV6
Kia EV6 is the brand’s first all-electric crossover built on Hyundai Motor Group’s dedicated E-GMP platform. In the United States, the EV6 will offer the customers to choose from either a 58 kWh or a 77.4 kWh battery pack. The smaller battery will feature in the Standard Range RWD version where the electric motor will develop 125 kW (167 hp) and 258 lb-ft of torque, with an EPA-est. range of 232 miles.
Kia will open sales of the EV6 during the first quarter in the United States. Image: Kia
The Long Range AWD variant will also use the larger battery pack with a dual motor setup (one for each axle) with a combined output of 238 kW (320 hp) and 258 lb-ft of torque, and an EPA-estimated range of 274 miles. The performance-oriented Kia EV6 GT Long Range AWD, coming in late-2022, generates a colossal 430 kW (576 hp) with a 0-60 mph sprint in under 3.5 seconds.
The first EV6 (EX, EX+ and GT-Line) models are expected to go on sale in early 2022 in all 50 states.
Kia America, in an announcement on Dec 15, 2021
The Kia EV6 takes 5.5 hours in the Standard Range RWD setup with 240 V (Level 2 charger), 7.1 hours in Long Range configurations. With a 350 kW DC ultra-fast charger, the battery could be charged from 10% to 80% in just 18 minutes, adding a useful 217 miles to the range. Set to go on sale in the U.S. in early 2022, the Kia EV6 could come with a starting price of around $45,000 before the government subsidies.
2023 Kia Niro EV
While Hyundai has released photos of the new generation Niro EV, it is yet to detail or launch the variant in any market. Image: Kia
Originally introduced in 2016, the Kia Niro EV is moving to its second generation this year. The current-gen model that is on sale in the U.S. comes with a 64 kWh Li-Ion Polymer (LIPO) battery that powers the electric motor resulting in a peak output of 150 kW (201 hp) and 291 lb-ft (395 Nm). Niro EV has an EPA-estimated range of 239 miles. The charging time with the 7.2 kW on-board charger is 9 hours 35 minutes, with a 50 kW DC fast charger is 1 hour 15 minutes (0-80%) and with a 100 kW DC fast charger is 1 hour (0-80%). The updated Niro EV might boast an EPA-estimated range of around 275 miles, and should charge faster.
Due for global market launch later this year, more information on the all-new Niro will be made available in due course.
Kia, in an announcement on Jan 17, 2022
Slated to go on sale by mid-2022, the next-gen Niro EV should cost around $40,000 before the government incentives.
Genesis GV60
The Genesis GV60 could be popular with the younger generation in the U.S. with its design, features and specifications. Image: Genesis
The Genesis GV60 is based on the E-GMP platform that underpins the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6. In South Korea, the GV60 uses a 77.4 kWh battery with three variants; GV60 RWD, GV60 AWD and GV60 AWD Performance.
The GV60 RWD version gets an electric motor powering the rear wheels with an output of 168 kW (225 hp) and 258 lb-ft (350 Nm), with a 451 km (280 mi) range, as per Genesis’ estimate. The GV60 AWD version gets a dual-motor setup with a combined output of 234 kW (314 hp) and 446 lb-ft (605 Nm), with a range of 400 km (248.5 mi), whereas the performance AWD version produces 320 kW (429 hp) and 446 lb-ft (605 Nm) (516 lb-ft or 700 Nm in boost mode) from the two electric motors, with a range of 368 km (228.6 mi).
GV60’s North American deliveries are expected to begin in 2022.
Genesis Motor North America, on August 19, 2021, during the digital reveal of the GV60
The charging capabilities using an 800 V 350 kW DC ultra-fast charger ensure a time of 18 minutes from 10% to 80%. The Genesis GV60 is expected to commence deliveries this year in the U.S. with a starting price of around $55,000 before any subsidies.
Genesis Electrified G80
The 2023 Electrified G80 will make its debut in the U.S. in Spring this year, as mentioned on the brand’s official website. In the Korean market, the Electrified G80 is an AWD electric luxury sedan that comes with an 87.2 kWh battery pack that powers the front and rear electric motors. The combined output stands at 272 kW (370 PS) and 700 Nm with a range of 265 miles according to Korean EV certification system, and 0-60 mph time of 4.9 seconds.
At a 350 kW rapid charging rate with a DC charger (800 V) the electric sedan could be charged from 10% to 80% in 22 minutes. The electrified G80 also offers V2L (Vehicle to Load) to run external appliances with a power of 3.6 kW.
The Genesis Electrified G80 is the brand’s first all-electric car, and is its EV flagship. Image: Genesis
The solar roof of the Genesis G80 can produce 730 Wh of electricity on an average per day. At this rate, charging per day for 5.8 hours can add a 1,150 km (714 mi) driving range to the vehicle. In South Korea, the G80 was launched in July 2021 at a price of 82.8 million won ($72,860) in a single fully-loaded trim. Specifications for the U.S. market should be released in the coming months.
Genesis Electrified GV70 (U.S. unveil)
Claudia Márquez, COO of Genesis Motor North America, has confirmed in an interview to MotorTrend that the Genesis Electrified GV70 (GV70 EV) is coming to the U.S., but did not confirm a date. We believe that Genesis would unveil the vehicle in the U.S. specification this year, before commencing deliveries in 2023.
There were rumors last year that the Genesis Electrified GV70 would become Genesis’s first EV manufactured in the U.S. Image: Genesis
The electric mid-size SUV could be the first product from Genesis to be built in the U.S.. In the South Korean market, the Electrified GV70 is exclusively available in AWD configuration with a 77.4 kWh battery pack. One electric motor is mounted on each axle producing a combined output of 360 kW (483 hp) and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm). The max power of 360 kW will only be achieved in Boost Mode which will propel the SUV from 0-60 mph in just 4.5 seconds. The Genesis Electrified GV70 has an estimated range of 400 km (248.5 mi) according to the Korean EV certification system.
With a 350 kW rapid charger, it will take only 18 minutes to charge the SUV from 10% to 80%. The V2L feature is also be available to supply 3.6 kW of power to external appliances. The expected prices for the electric GV70 will be upwards of $50,000 in the U.S. prior to any government incentives. Note that the specifications discussed in the section are from the Korean market.
Feature image: Hyundai Motor Europe
Keyword: Hyundai, Kia, Genesis could launch 7 EVs in the U.S. in 2022