Hyundai Motor Company has revealed that it will launch a new standalone electric vehicle brand, called IONIQ, and its vehicles will use the Electric Global Modular Platform, known as E-GMP, to enable fast charging and a long driving range.
The IONIQ name has been in use by the Korean marque since it launched the Hyundai IONIQ in 2016. The three-part IONIQ offering consists of a battery-electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid and a standard hybrid. The all-electric IONIQ was equipped with a front-engine, rear-battery aligned permanent magnet synchronous motor, first with a 28kWh lithium-ion polymer battery and later updated to a 38.3kWh equivalent. Both the plug-in and standard hybrid models were part-powered by the 1.6-liter Hyundai ‘Kappa’ four-cylinder engine. It is expected that forthcoming IONIQ brand models will be based on upgraded technology from the original IONIQ, making use of the existing E-GMP platform.
The first model under the IONIQ brand will be the IONIQ 5 midsize crossover that will launch in early 2021. IONIQ 5 is based on the concept EV ‘45’, which Hyundai unveiled at the International Motor Show (IAA) 2019 in Frankfurt, Germany, as a homage to its very first concept car. The manufacturer says that IONIQ 5’s designers took inspiration from the past and integrated it with cutting-edge parametric pixels, a unique design element that Hyundai designers will continue to incorporate into future IONIQ models.
In 2022, Hyundai will introduce IONIQ 6 sedan, based on the company’s latest concept EV ‘Prophecy’, unveiled in March; followed by IONIQ 7, a large SUV in early 2024. Prophecy’s iconic exterior design is characterized by its aerodynamic silhouette.
Hyundai Motor Company aims to become the world’s third-largest auto maker of eco-friendly vehicles by 2025, with 560,000 BEV sales in addition to FCEV sales. The launch of the IONIQ brand dedicated to EV models reinforces the company’s commitment to clean mobility and reflects its ongoing transformation as a smart mobility solution provider with zero-emissions solutions.