Hyundai Motor unveils Ioniq 6 to counter Tesla Model 3

來源: 開云體育app官方網站 時間: 2023-01-26 17:08:48

Chang Jae-hoon, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor, introduces the company's new Ioniq 6 electric car during Busan International Motor Show at Bexco, Thursday. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor

Nation's top brand to invest $1.5 bil. to build EV-only plant in Ulsan

By Baek Byung-yeul

BUSAN ― Hyundai Motor debuted its new Ioniq 6 electric vehicle (EV) that can travel more than 500 kilometers on a single charge at the Busan International Motor Show, Thursday, in a bid to compete with EV veteran Tesla's popular Model 3 sedan.

Sporting a streamlined exterior design and advanced aerodynamic efficiency with a low drag coefficient of just 0.21, Hyundai Motor displayed its confidence that the Ioniq 6 will create a new sensation in the global EV market.

"The Ioniq 6 is the next ambitious step forward in Hyundai Motor's strategy to accelerate its transition to electrification and into a position as a global leader in EVs," said Chang Jae-hoon, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor.

Hyundai Motor will start taking pre-orders for the Ioniq 6 on July 28 and begin selling the new vehicle to Korean customers in September. It is set to make its global debut in 2023.

The Ioniq 6 will come in a long-range model with a 77.4 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery pack, or a standard model with a 53 kWh battery pack. The long-range model was confirmed by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy as having a maximum range of 524 kilometers on a single charge.

Chang said the company expects to sell 12,000 Ioniq 6 EVs in the Korean market this year alone and more than 50,000 in the global market next year.

When asked where the new vehicle will be assembled, Chang said, "We will be able to cover the Ioniq 6 production at domestic factories."

Chang also revealed the company plans to invest around 2 trillion won ($1.5 billion) in building a new factory in Korea that will only produce EVs. "It is right that domestic factories are centered on the Ulsan plant. The new plant will be built at our Ulsan facility," he said.

The CEO added the company plans to reveal its strategy for new EV models later.

Kia's EV9 concept SUV is displayed during Busan International Motor Show at Bexco, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Baek Byung-yeul

Kia to launch EV9 large electric SUV in 2023

Hyundai Motor's sister brands Kia and Genesis are also taking part in the biannual motor show, which skipped its last scheduled event in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kia displayed various cars at the event including a face-lifted version of the Seltos compact SUV, EV6 EV and EV9 concept SUV.

The EV9, a full-size battery-powered SUV, is a concept model, which will be made based on Hyundai Motor Group's EV-only platform E-GMP.

Kia elaborated that the company prioritized making the upcoming vehicle practical for drivers to use as a family car with three rows of seats.

Kwon Hyuk-ho, vice president of Kia, said the company plans to launch the electric SUV next April. Also, the new vehicle will use SK On's battery cells.

Revealing the company's EV strategy, Kwon said, "Kia will have an EV lineup of 14 models by 2027 and take the lead in making our planet more sustainable by considering all the processes from vehicle production to sales."

Seen is Genesis's X Speedium Coupe concept car at Busan International Motor Show in Bexco, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Baek Byung-yeul

Genesis, a luxury brand of the automotive group, also displayed its cars including the Genesis X Speedium Coupe concept car, the G70 Shooting Brake wagon and the GV60 EV. The Genesis X Speedium Coupe concept car was designed to show the future direction of its EV design. In April, the model received rave reviews in New York when it was first unveiled to local U.S. media.