Hyundai’s electric compact SUV will be based on the dedicated Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) and sit above Kona EV
Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) is gearing up to introduce its first electric vehicle in the domestic market next month. The electrified Kona will be offered in its lower capacity 39 kWh battery pack and is expected to have claimed range of around 300-350 km on a single charge.
Earlier reports indicated that the Kona EV will be sold in limited numbers in its initial phase. It will act as a technology showcase for the South Korean brand and seeing the customer response, Hyundai might consider localising it in the near future. It is said to carry a price tag of around Rs. 25 lakh (ex-showroom).
The Hyundai Kona EV will have an immediate rival in the form of MG eZS, which is expected to debut locally towards the end of this year before going on sale in the first month of 2020. With the arrival of Kia, Hyundai Motor Group is targetting one million volume output in the next two to three years from India.
While electrification will definitely be part of its strategy in the near future for domestic buyers, Hyundai is investing big sum of money elsewhere to develop its zero-emission range for developed markets. A recent report suggests that the company is devising plans to strengthen its EV portfolio.
A brand new electric vehicle is on the cards for 2021 and according to BusinessKorea, it will be based on a dedicated architecture unlike the electric versions of Kona or the Ioniq. Dubbed the Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), it will spawn its first EV internally codenamed NE.
Excitingly, Hyundai appears to bank on the craze for SUVs and crossovers and could position the model in a volume segment. Expected to sit above the electric Kona, the compact e-SUV is said to have a driving range of 450 km on a single charge. The report went on to state that the battery supplier for the EV is yet to be chosen.
It should be noted that Hyundai has partnered with Rimac to develop an N branded sports car.