Hyundai expanding electric vehicle lineup with new IONIQ brand
Hyundai plans to release three electric vehicles under the new IONIQ brand over the next four years. (Hyundai)
Hyundai Motor Company has launched IONIQ, a new brand of electric vehicles, with plans to roll out a crossover SUV (CUV), a sedan and a large SUV over the next four years.
An official with Hyundai Motor Manufacturing of Alabama said there are currently no plans to add EV production to the plant in Montgomery, which produces the Sonata and Elantra sedans and the Santa Fe SUV.
The automaker aims to sell 1 million EVs and own 10% of the global market by 2025. In addition to its battery EV, the automaker produces fuel-cell electric vehicles along with hybrids.
Hyundai introduced the term IONIQ, a combination of “ion” and “unique,” when it announced Project IONIQ and then unveiled a vehicle named IONIQ in 2016. That was the world’s first and only model to offer a choice of three electrified powertrain options – hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid and battery electric – within a single body type.
Now IONIQ will be its own brand with vehicles carrying numbers – odd numbers will be SUVs and even numbers will be sedans.
The IONIQ 5 midsize CUV will launch in early 2021 and is based on the concept EV 45, which Hyundai unveiled at the International Motor Show 2019 in Frankfurt as homage to its first concept car, the Hyundai Pony Coupe designed for the 1974 Turin Motor Show.
Hyundai plans to introduce the IONIQ 6 in 2022. The sedan is based on the company’s latest concept EV Prophecy, unveiled in March.
The IONIQ 7 large SUV is planned for early 2024.
The vehicles use Hyundai’s Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) that will enable fast charging capability and long driving range. Hyundai said its designers will re-imagine the vehicle interior as “smart living space” with highly adjustable seats, wireless connectivity and unique features, such as a glove box designed as drawers.
“The IONIQ brand will change the paradigm of EV customer experience,” said Wonhong Cho, executive vice president and global chief marketing officer at Hyundai. “With a new emphasis on connected living, we will offer electrified experiences integral to an eco-friendly lifestyle.”
Hyundai’s IONIQ automotive plans fit into a larger vision the company has deemed “Progress for Humanity.”
IONIQ plans to add innovations that “combine design, technologies and services to integrate in-car and out-of-car experiences for a seamless journey,” according to a statement from the company.
One example is a foldable electric scooter in a hidden compartment to allow for “last-mile mobility” to carry drivers from their parking space to their final destinations.
Over the weekend, Hyundai celebrated the launch of IONIQ by turning the London Eye Ferris wheel into a giant letter “Q” using electric lights just before the official reopening of the famous attraction.
It’s part of a larger “I’m in Charge” brand campaign for IONIQ.
