Hyundai Ioniq 6 Boasts Impressive Range With Its North American Reveal
When the Hyundai Ioniq 6 was first revealed earlier this year, it looked to be a serious attempt to take on Tesla's EV dominance. It's one of the first real attempts at a compact and affordable EV sedan from a brand that's already proven it knows what it's doing with electric vehicles that don't cost a small fortune — namely the Ioniq 5. The Ioniq 6 is part of Hyundai's electric plans for the future, and could prove to be a winner in a severely lacking segment. It helps that the Ioniq 6 looks fantastic by most accounts.
The earlier Hyundai Ioniq 5's styling works so well because it looks a lot like a concept car, with its hard lines and Blade Runner-like styling cues. The new Ioniq 6 smooths out those lines and goes with a more elegant styling approach, which leads to a generally cleaner and more aerodynamic outline. Now that the Ioniq 6 has been revealed in its full glory in Los Angeles, its estimated range and available features could give Tesla and other EV competitors a run for their money.
Ioniq 6: Designed for efficiency
According to Hyundai, the Ioniq 6 will have an estimated range of 340 miles before running out of electrons from its available 77.4 kWh battery — not too far away from the Tesla Model 3's 358 miles of estimated range, if equipped properly. The Ioniq 6 is able to achieve this range partly due to its "Streamliner" design, as Hyundai calls it. It's designed to slip through the air with little to no fuss, and boasts a very low drag coefficient of 0.22.
The Ioniq 6 can charge incredibly fast as well. Per Hyundai, it can charge from 10% battery to 80% in about 18 minutes if you use a 350-kw fast charger. The car achieves this through regulating the heat of the battery to optimize charging in any scenario. The battery can do this automatically, or the user can opt to pre-heat the battery through Hyundai's app. Charging at your house with the included charger takes 7 hours and 10 minutes. Hyundai also states that the Ioniq 6's battery can double as a power bank for charging mobile devices or even charge other EVs. As a bonus, Hyundai says that the Ioniq 6 will come with unlimited fast charging at Electrify America chargers for two years after purchase.
A serious EV sedan
The hottest Ioniq 6 will throw down 320 horsepower to all four wheels with its dual motor option. According to a press release, that will propel the Ioniq 6 to 60 mph in less than five seconds. The base model will come equipped with a not-inconsequential 225 horsepower single motor. On the inside of the car, it's draped in all manner of sustainable fabrics and materials that one would expect from a new environmentally focused EV. Hyundai claims the Ioniq 6 will offer a "fun EV driving experience using a virtual propulsion sound called electric-Active Sound Design," meaning that the user can set different driving sounds for the normally near-silent EV.
Much like most EVs on sale today, the Ioniq 6 will feature over-the-air software updates, and is loaded to the gills with assisted safety and driving equipment. As for price, Hyundai has not divulged that information as of yet. For comparison, the Ioniq 5 starts at $41,450, thought it's unclear if the price will be similar for Hyundai's new EV. The Ioniq 6 will go on sale during spring of next year.