An Ioniq 5, Hyundai’s third electric vehicle in Australia, has been snapped at a local government conference and has generated “extensive interest” for fleets, the automaker says.
Images shared by Hyundai Australia’s senior manager for future mobility, Scott Nargar, show a sleek and shiny Ioniq 5 on display at the recent Local Government Annual Conference, complete with a small chiller being powered by its “vehicle-to-load” (V2L) battery keeping a few cold ones on ice for the attendees.
It was the only electric vehicle on show at the conference, says Nargar, although that apparently did not diminish its impact.
“The reactions from the attendees were very positive and many were surprised by how big the Ioniq 5 is, in person,” Nargar told The Driven, adding that attendees were also surprised at how roomy the EV was inside – both in the front and the back as well as the rear boot space.
This is largely because the Ioniq 5 is the South Korean carmaker’s first vehicle to be built on a dedicated electric drivetrain (called e-GMP, short for electric global modular platform) which means the vehicle is designed on an under-floor battery and drivetrain rather than modifying a combustion engine vehicle design.
It is the same platform that is being used by fellow South Korean carmaker Kia in its upcoming EV6. Both will join the local EV market in 2021 and Hyundai has said it will make “every” EV it develops available to Australian drivers.
Like the EV6, the Ioniq 5 has the capability to discharge power at a rate of 3.6kW, offering a multitude of uses from camping to emergency power.
Nargar says that attendees of the conference discussed the ability to use “V2L to power community activations and help with disaster recovery EG powering ovens, fridges, microwaves, and lights following floods, fires and cyclones in evacuation centres.”
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.