Hyundai Kona Electric’s successor could be launched in the coming years, based on the Ioniq range’s E-GMP platform in the developed markets
Hyundai released the teasers of the Ioniq 6 and Ioniq 7 recently and the Ioniq range could see the debut of more entry-level models in the near future. According to a recent report that surfaced on the internet, the successor to the Kona Electric could be part of the Ioniq family upon its possible arrival in the coming years.
Hyundai’s head of global marketing, Thomas Schemera, suggested in an interview that the possibilities do exist and it could adopt the Ioniq 2, Ioniq 3 or Ioniq 4 moniker. He believes it would make sense to extend all the benefits associated with the E-GMP architecture – Hyundai Motor Group’s first dedicated all-electric modular vehicle platform.
Expanding the E-GMP to smaller vehicles could help in achieving economies of scale across the globe and Hyundai targets zero-emission vehicles to account for 80 per cent of the global sales By 2040 before achieving carbon neutrality By 2045. The South Korean auto major expects to stop selling IC engined vehicles in Europe starting from 2035 as well.
The E-GMP architecture was introduced on the Ioniq 5, the production version of the 45 Concept, and is sold in multiple configurations. The base trim features a single electric motor mounted at the rear and all the variants have a top speed of 185 kmph. The 58 kWh battery pack enables 168 hp and 350 Nm and it can do 0-100 kmph in 8.5 seconds.
In the AWD layout, the rear electric motor adds 161 hp taking the combined power output to 232 hp and 605 Nm and it can accelerate from zero to 100 kmph in 6.1 seconds. The larger 72.6 kWh battery pack and a rear-wheel-drive motor help in developing 215 hp and 350 Nm. The top-spec variant with an all-wheel-drive system kicks out 302 hp and 605 Nm.
It does 0-100 kmph in just 5.2 seconds and using a 350 kW charger and 800 V capability, the battery recharges from 10 to 80 per cent in just 18 minutes. The successor to the Hyundai Ioniq could compete against the entry-level Volkswagen zero-emission cars and it could be positioned affordably targeting volumes in the developed markets.