FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA – While most major automakers are transitioning some or all of their product lines to battery power over the next several years, South Korea’s Hyundai seems to be moving faster than most. All three of its brands already offer two or more BEVs, and Hyundai has just added a third, the uniquely styled 4-door (don’t call it a “sedan”) Ioniq 6.
Its “Single-Curved Aerodynamic Profile,” along with underbody cladding and other drag-reducing features including active grille shutters, together yield an impressive drag coefficient of 0.22. (General Motors’ bullet-shaped 1990s EV1 2-seater was slicker still at 0.19, a production-vehicle record that still stands.) And its “Ultrafast” 800V charging capability is uncommon at its $43,000-$50,000 price point, though Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 and sister-brand Kia and Genesis BEVs on the same E-GMP (Electric-Global-Modular Platform) also offer it.
Fast Charging
The Ioniq 6’s E-GMP has standard 800V charging and can accommodate 400V charging without additional components or adapters. “I think our fast-charging technology is leading the way in our attempt to satisfy customers’ concerns and needs with regard to EVs,” says Dean Schlingmann, Hyundai North America electrified propulsion systems manager. “You can compare it to Porsches and Hummers that charge on those high voltage systems. However, their price points are at a minimum double ours. And we are reverse compatible.”
Hyundai says this multi-charging system is a patented world-first technology that enables the motor and inverter to boost 400V to 800V for stable charging compatibility. “If the legacy systems out there are 400-volt, we actually boost that voltage on board,” Schlingmann explains. “We're kind of swinging above our weight class in that respect, especially with reverse compatibility. You can't sell something these days that is not reverse compatible, so we addressed that by doing it on board with no special connector.” The only downside is that charging on a 400V system takes longer.
According to Hyundai, the Ioniq 6 battery pack will charge from 10% to 80% in just 18 minutes with 800V charging and can add as much as 65 miles (105 km) of range in just five minutes on a 350-kW Level 3 fast charger. On 240V Level 2 charging, the 10.9-kW on-board charger can complete a full battery charge in a little over seven hours.
Because the battery pack must be at optimal temperature to achieve that fast-charging speed, the Ioniq 6 can preheat its pack in cold weather. This function activates automatically when a charging point is entered into the connected routing navigation system and turns on the battery heater when it gets close to the charger. If the car is plugged in, the pack also can be heated in advance of a trip using the MyHyundai app.
Two battery pack options and two motor layouts – rear only or front and rear for all-wheel drive – are offered (pictured, below). The base SE Standard Range with its 53-kWh pack starts at $41,600 (plus $1,115 delivery) and the SE Long Range, with an EPA-estimated 361 miles (581 km) of range from its 77.4-kWh pack --– at $45,500 plus delivery. Dual-motor 320-hp AWD models with 316 miles (509 km) of EPA range have a starting MSRP of $49,000 plus delivery.
V2L Function
Ioniq 6 offers a Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) function that allows customers to charge electric devices, even including another BEV, which often can be handy and especially important during a power outage. An accessory adapter that goes into the outside charging port is available from Hyundai dealers, and Limited-trim models have a 110V outlet under the back seat.
Schlingmann says a 220V version of this feature is offered in other global markets, “and without changing the wire size or anything else, we doubled the current and halved the voltage for the North American market.”
Additional Technologies
Ioniq 6 offers Hyundai’s “next level” SmartSense advanced driver-assistance and safety features including forward collision avoidance assist, lane- keeping assist, safe exit assist, navigation-based smart cruise control, blindspot view monitor and surround view monitor. To optimize both energy efficiency and vehicle stability, a disconnector actuator system allows the front and rear motors to be connected or disconnected during different levels of deceleration, and electric dynamic torque vectoring control improves handling using partial braking and motor torque when cornering.
There are four driving modes – Eco, Comfort, Sport and Snow – with coast-regenerative braking customizable in each mode via paddle shifters. EV Performance Tune-up (My Drive Mode) allows the driver to adjust steering effort (normal or sport), motor power (minimum, moderate or maximum), accelerator pedal pressure sensitivity (low, moderate or high) and driveline (AWD, auto AWD or 2WD) settings to personalize the driving experience.
A new navigation function generates connected routes that include EV charging stations (pictured, above) when it may be difficult to reach your destination on the current level of charge. If the charging station is in use or out of order, it will automatically search for other stations and provide updates. Digital Key 2 Touch, the latest version of Hyundai Digital Key, allows owners to leave their car key at home and use an iPhone, Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy smartphone to lock, unlock, and start their Ioniq 6 and enables secure sharing of keys with family and friends.
And Electric-Active Sound Design, a Hyundai first, uses an acoustic processor to generate virtual propulsion sounds inside the cabin with the ability to set its volume over four levels.
Hyundai’s Bluelink app displays the car’s range, battery state of charge and charging times when plugged into public or private charging points, and customers can access an advanced battery management system to select charging times that best fit their schedules or budgets using off-peak electricity rates. Vehicle Status Notifications inform owners of unlocked doors or open windows, and Maintenance Alert Enhancement tracks maintenance intervals. Ioniq 6 is the first Hyundai offering Over-The-Air firmware update capability.
