Everyone is suddenly talking about Hyundai Bloomberg called its Ioniq 5 EV one of two “hottest cars on the market” in the US. For now, Hyundai is sharing the spotlight with another automaker. However, with the launch of the new Ioniq 6 EV, it is aiming directly at exclusive ownership of the top slot, and it just might happen.
Oh great, a luggage-free EV (relatively speaking)
If you guessed that some Tesla EV shares Bloomberg’s hottest car title with the Ioniq 5, that’s a good guess, but that’s not what Bloomberg reporter Kyle Stock had in mind. He mentioned another Hyundai Motor Group article, the Kia EV6.
Either way, the growing variety in the all-electric car market is good news for EV fans looking for alternatives to Tesla’s offerings. Owning an electric car should be an uplifting experience. After all, one saves the planet with every mile traveled (more on that later). However, the luggage carried by Tesla becomes quite a load, exemplified by multiple allegations of pervasive racism at the company factory in Fremont, California†
The attention-seeking behavior of Tesla CEO Elon Musk has not helped much. To cite just one example (there are others), during the early months of the COVID-19 outbreak, Musk spoke after deception of former president Trump about the deadly virus. That was consistent with his support for the accused coup plotter during his tenure, but not particularly helpful to those trying to save lives.
To be clear, every manufacturer probably carries some baggage. Hyundai, for example, does not seem to have learned the lessons of “dieselgate”. All the more reason to stop the production of gas mobiles!
More to the point, if you were asked to be the president and global COO of Hyundai Motor Groupwould Jose Muñoz come to mind?
Most auto execs keep a low profile, and for good reason. Why take the risk of turning down potential customers when the focus must be on the car, which will require them to pay a hefty sum.
So, what about the Ioniq 6 EV?
Where were we? Oh yes, the new Hyundai Ioniq 6 EV. CleanTechnica’s Steve Hanley has been preview of the new carand he noted last month when Hyundai posted a teaser with photos.
“The car closely follows the company’s prophesy concept car that surprised the car world in March of last year,” he noted. “The Prophesy was sleek and sleek in a way not seen in a passenger car since the Audi 5000 hit the scene in 1978.”
And how! Yesterday Hyundai raised the bar with a YouTube video profiling of the Ioniq 6along with a lengthy press release.
You can catch all of Hyundai’s deets, but for those of you on the go, here’s the key quote:
“IONIQ 6 delivers an estimated all-electric range of more than 610 km, according to the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) standard, as well as the ultra-fast 400-V/800-V multi-charging capability enabled by Hyundai Motor Group’s Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP).”
For those of you keeping score at home, E-GMP is Hyundai’s universal, EV-specific platform. “This special platform is made specifically for EVs,” the company explains. “It encompasses the vehicle’s chassis, including the battery, motor and electrical system, and its scalable wheelbase allows it to form the backbone of many different types of vehicles.”
In fact, E-GMP was introduced with a battery range of 500 kilometers, beating the new Ioniq6 EV by far.
Breaking the EV demographic bubble
The YouTube video has already gotten a few snide comments from people who comment on YouTube videos (shocker!), but they miss the point.
When Tesla was the only game in town, the demographic profile of the typical EV owner was an older, higher-income white male. That demographic still dominates the electric vehicle market in general and the Tesla Model 3 in particular. Hedges & Company recently did the numbers and came up with this:
“Model 3 owners are predominantly male. Women own only 16% of Model 3s and men own 84%.
That’s what makes the Model 3 the most “masculine” of the Tesla models† Men own 77% of Model S vehicles and women own 23%. Men drop to 71% for the Tesla Model X, versus 29% women.”
That’s not that far from the gender breakdown of the new car-buying public in general, which continues to skew toward men (second-hand cars is another story). It does indicate, however, that EV makers have failed to tap into the non-male market, and that’s where the Ioniq 6 EV has a chance to break through the bubble.
Ignore the YouTube comments and see what Hyundai sells. It’s not setting up a car to save the planet (which is bullshit anyway). Hyundai presents a work vehicle for women and other non-men who value a stress-free experience while going about their daily business.
The idea of a vehicle as a workstation is not new. It’s been around for generations. The COVID-19 pandemic and remote working have added a new demand for mobile work environments, and EV technology provides the platform.
A great take on the EV advantage, which Hyundai is enthusiastically milking, is vehicle-to-device charging without having to fill the environment with the noise and fumes of an idling combustion engine.
Another advantage is the extra space and flexibility that electric propulsion offers.
“The innovative interior has been carefully conceived as a cocoon-like personal space, enhanced with the latest technologies to create a safe, fun and stress-free driving experience,” enthuses Thomas Schemera, the Executive Vice President, Global Chief Marketing Officer and Head of the Customer Experience Division, Hyundai Motor Company.
What is so important about electric vehicles?
The idea of saving the planet by buying an EV isn’t complete nonsense, but it skates pretty close to the brink. After all, exhaust emissions are just the end of a long carbon chain from the automaker to the dealer. If you really want to reduce your personal carbon footprint, walk more, cycle more, carpool, use public transport, or buy an e-bike†
To be honest, alternative mobility is not an option for many people. That’s where the EV choice beats any gas mobile, any day.
But whatever comes out of the exhaust, a car can pose a hazard, even if it’s not moving.
If you’ve ever had a door, or had to swerve to prevent a car door from suddenly opening in your path, you know all about it. That safety problem will undoubtedly grow in size as more people use bicycles, e-bikes and sooters.
Hyundai seems to have considered the danger at its doorstep, albeit from the opposite perspective. The Ioniq 6 uses all the bells and whistles that assist the driver to avoid colliding with pedestrians and other alternative mobility users, and then there’s this interesting feature:
“IONIQ 6… ensures the safety of rear seat passengers with Safe Exit Warning (SEW), which warns you when a vehicle is approaching from behind while exiting. When the occupant opens the door to exit the vehicle after a stop, and an approaching vehicle is detected from the rear, it gives a warning.”
Interesting! There’s no word yet on whether SEW is sensitive enough to warn of two-wheeled approaches, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Production is expected later this year, so stay tuned for more on this.
follow me on twitter @TinaMCasey†
Photo (cropped): Hyundai Ioniq 6 EV courtesy of Hyundai.
Do you appreciate the originality of CleanTechnica and the coverage of cleantech? Consider becoming one CleanTechnica member, supporter, technician or ambassador — or a patron on Patreon†
