Hyundai has confirmed that it will build three more electric cars to be introduced under a dedicated Ioniq series starting from 2021.
The Ioniq currently sells as a fastback electric car as well as with a hybrid (HEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) drivetrain in Australia, although the pure electric form has proven the preferred version for consumers, selling more than double all HEV and PHEV models combined.
As The Driven noted in a recent article on electric vehicle efficiency, it is the cheapest electric vehicle to run in Australia, on par with the Tesla Model 3 per 100km driven.
The Ioniq’s success, which came out of Hyundai’s eponymous eco-mobility program, has now prompted the South Korean car maker to brand an entire series under the name, which it says is a fusion of “ion” and “unique”.
Numbering the Ioniq series with even numbers for sedans and odd numbers for SUVs, the first to join the original Ioniq will be the Ioniq 5 in 2021.
The Ioniq 5 will be a mid-sized crossover SUV that will draw from the Hyundai 45, a retro-inspired yet futuristic electric car concept based on its very first concept car, the 1974 Pony coupé.
Hyundai says the Ioniq 5 will keep the 45’s matrix of pixel-like LED lights to create a distinctive design edge that will define the series.
The Ioniq 5 will be followed by the Ioniq 6 in 2022, which will be a sleek, aerodynamic sedan drawn from the car maker’s most recent concept, the Hyundai Prophecy.
In 2024, a fourth Ioniq 7 model will come forth in the form of a large SUV.
All vehicles will be built on a dedicated electric vehicle “global modular platform” that Hyundai has dubbed the E-GMP.
It will allow the brand to implement what it calls a “smart living space”, characterised by “highly adjustable seats, wireless connectivity and unique features such as a glove box designed as drawers,” the company says.
The announcement of the new models will help the car maker fulfill its goal of claiming 10% of the global electric vehicle market by 2025 with 1 million electric vehicle sales.
Of this 1 million sales, Hyundai itself is aiming for 560,000 of these to be battery electric vehicles, with additional sales from Kia and Genesis, in addition to hydrogen fuel cell vehicle sales.
“The Ioniq brand will change the paradigm of EV customer experience,” said Wonhong Cho, executive VP and global chief marketing officer at Hyundai Motor Company, in a statement.
“With a new emphasis on connected living, we will offer electrified experiences integral to an eco-friendly lifestyle.”
There is no timeline as yet for introduction in Australia, but based on the Ioniq which was first released in 2016 and made it to Australia in late 2018, expect a two year lag from overseas to local launch.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.