HYUNDAI will quickly dump its trio of common electrified Ioniq fashions because it strikes to a brand new era of full-electric automobiles and SUVs.
The three Ioniq fashions — hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electrical — broke new floor when launched in Australia in August 2018 by providing patrons a alternative of powerplants in a single physique type.
Now the trio, which have offered 2051 models to this point, will stop to be imported within the second half of this 12 months. The most well-liked model has been the full-electric automobile, which has been successful with fleets. A pair of Ioniq Electrical automobiles are nonetheless getting used as taxis in Perth.
Hyundai Motor Firm Australia (HMCA) spokesman Guido Schenken advised GoAuto that some fleets had ordered the outgoing automobile after changing into conscious of the tip of its run.
The timing coincides with the introduction of the new-gen Ioniq 6 sedan, primarily based on the Prophecy idea automobile and to rival the Tesla Mannequin 3, to be offered alongside the present Ioniq 5 SUV from the second half of this 12 months.
Hyundai will add a 3rd all-electric Ioniq, the 7, due in 2024. The Ioniq 7 is a seven-seat SUV previewed by the Seven idea and can turn into Hyundai’s different to the internal-combustion engined Santa Fe and Palisade.
In a leaf taken from the Star Wars movie franchise ebook, Mr Schenken mentioned there are not any firm plans – as but – to make a numerically (and bodily) smaller Ioniq than the 5.
“There’s undoubtedly scope for the vary to maneuver down in numbers, however the 6 would be the subsequent Ioniq and arrive right here within the second half of this 12 months, launched each globally and regionally,” he mentioned.
There are additionally no plans to launch one other Ioniq between the 6 and seven, regardless of the massive time delay.
HMCA will, nevertheless, launch three Genesis EVs beginning with the GV60, an SUV primarily based on the Ioniq 5’s E-GMP platform devoted to electrical autos.
The opposite two Genesis EVs — referred to as “electrified” by Hyundai — would be the G80 sedan and GV70 SUV. Each these will use the present ICE platform.
“With the present plans for GV60 to launch across the center of this 12 months adopted shortly by electrified G80 and electrified GV70,” Mr Schenken mentioned.
“There is not any pricing introduced but however I’ll say with the G80 and the GV70, they would be the flagship fashions of their vary in order that they’ll sit above the petrol and diesel variations.
“There can be a value premium for the EV drivetrains.”
He mentioned that HMCA has pushed to get each EV – battery EV or gas cell – it will possibly get into the Australian market.
That is in keeping with Hyundai’s announcement earlier this month that it had sharply elevated its EV plans and wished gross sales of 1.87 million EVs a 12 months by 2030, up from its earlier goal of 560,000 models by 2025.
