Hyundai, Kia and Nio EVs recognised in Good Design Awards

A number of electric vehicles and EV charging technologies have been recognised in the 71^st year of the Good Design Awards, including the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, and Nio ET7.

Organised by The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design in cooperation with the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design, and Urban Studies and Metropolitan Arts Press, the Good Design Awards highlight the latest and most advanced products and designs from around the world.

The 71^st Good Design Awards recognised over 1,100 new products and graphic designs from over 49 countries across a range of sectors, including electronics, transportation, medical equipment, energy systems, robotics, sporting goods, tools, and much more.

Amongst the bevvy of products and designs winning awards in the 2021 Good Design Awards were at least four electric vehicles – the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the Kia EV6, the Nio ET7, and the Microlino 2.0.

“Good Design defines the way we approach designing objects and places across the globe – keeping consumers’ needs central to the mission and aspirations of designers and manufacturers to ‘Shape Living for a Better Future’,” said Christian Narkiewicz-Laine, architecture critic and chief curator of Good Design.

All aspects of vehicle design were recognised by the Good Design Awards and, though a number of ICE vehicles were included in the Awards, all EVs awarded were also recognised for their EV-specific attributes.

“We are greatly honoured to be recognised by Good Design Awards for these very important vehicles and innovations,” said SangYup Lee, executive VP and head of Hyundai’s global design centre.

“This honour speaks to the outstanding work of our design dream team, who put their passion and heart into this project and also our R&D centre engineers who made this achievement together. It also reflects the competitiveness of Hyundai’s design identity in the global marketplace.”

“Securing these Good Design awards is an endorsement of the approach we took with the styling of the Kia EV6 and Kia Carnival, and is a tribute to the collaborative efforts of our talented international design team,” said Karim Habib, head of Kia’s design centre.

“It truly has been a pivotal year for us; we launched our brand-new design philosophy ‘Opposites United’, the ethos of which is already transforming our cars, and we are determined to ensure Kia keeps challenging the boundaries of automotive design.”

A number of secondary EV technologies were also recognised, including EV charging technologies such as the Nio DC charger, the Genesis EV Home Charger, Aloft EV Charger, and the Genesis Wireless EV Charging System.