Hyundai Motor Company announced the launch of its new Ioniq brand dedicated to battery electric vehicles. Under this brand Hyundai Motor will leverage its manufacturing know-how in EVs to introduce three new dedicated models over the next four years.The creation of the Ioniq brand is in response to the fast-growing market demand and accelerates Hyundai's plan for all electric products globally.
Hyundai will launch 3 new models under the Ioniq brand
Hyundai first introduced the term Ioniq, which fuses “ion” and “unique”, when it announced Project Ioniq, a long-term research and development project focused on eco-friendly mobility. Based on the project, the Ioniq car made its debut, and was offered with a choice of three electrified powertrain options – hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid and battery electric – within a single body type
Wonhong Cho, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer at Hyundai Motor Company, said, “The IONIQ brand will change the paradigm of EV customer experience. With a new emphasis on connected living, we will offer electrified experiences integral to an eco-friendly lifestyle.”
In 2022 Hyundai plans to launch an EV based on the Prophecy concept
Hyundai will be launching a range of numerically named EVs under the new brand, with the even numbers used for sedans and the odd numbers for SUVs. The first model under the brand will be the Ioniq 5 midsize CUV that will launch in early 2021. The Ioniq 5 will be based on the concept EV ‘45', which Hyundai unveiled at 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show as a homage to its very first concept car. The car'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, which is based on the company's latest concept EV ‘Prophecy', unveiled in March; followed by Ioniq 7, a large SUV in early 2024.
The first model will be launched in 2021 and will be based on the concept EV 45
The brand's models will sit on an Electric Global Modular Platform, known as E-GMP, that will enable fast charging capability and a good driving range as well. Hyundai Motor Group recently announced that it aims to sell 1 million units of battery electric vehicles and take 10 percent share to become a leader in the global EV field by 2025.
Under Strategy 2025, Hyundai Motor Company itself aims to become the world's third-largest automaker of eco-friendly vehicles by 2025, with 560,000 BEV sales in addition to FCEV sales.
Of course India too is on its radar and the company has already managed to sell more than 400 units of the Kona electric in the country. It leaves us with little doubt that the company will bring the Ioniq brand to the country too in the near future as growth in infrastructure for electric cars brings them back into focus.
