Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 electric crossover could be the best camping companion

Hyundai unveiled the new Ioniq 5, a medium-sized electric SUV with nearly 300 miles of range and a two-way charging feature that is sure to make it a popular EV for outdoor activities.

The Ioniq 5, which will go on sale in the first half of 2021, is the first vehicle to be built on Hyundai’s new Global Electric Modular Platform (E-GMP), which the automaker says serves as the basis for a whole family of planned EVs. Hyundai and its sister company aim to sell 1 million EVs in 2025 in an attempt to capture 10 percent of the global EV market.

Ioniq 5 looks like a promising start to this effort. The sharp-tipped SUV crossover follows some of the design suggestions from the automaker’s concept vehicle 45, first unveiled in 2019, which was a tribute to the 1974 Pony Coupe, Hyundai’s first mass-produced car and first export product.

Instead of a traditional grille, the front of the car features Hyundai’s first shell-shaped hood and a distinctive V-shaped front bumper that incorporates a set of exclusive daytime running lights. These small pixel-like clusters also appear at the rear of the vehicle.

But Hyundai packed the interior with a series of really interesting surprises. The center console can slide back up to 140 millimeters, allowing the driver or passenger to enter and exit through the door of their choice. This “universal island”, as Hyundai is calling it, can be useful in especially tight parking situations. The mobile console also provides access to the vehicle’s integrated 15-watt cordless phone charger, in addition to plenty of extra storage space.

Most of the Ioniq 5’s internal contact points – seats, ceiling lining, door trim, flooring and armrests – use environmentally friendly materials such as recycled PET bottles, herbal yarns and natural wool yarns, processed eco leather with plant based extracts and bio painting with plant extracts. But unlike other EVs like the Polestar 2, Hyundai does not go so far as to claim that its interior is 100 percent vegan.

That said, it can be comfortable enough to take a nap (but not while driving, obviously). The driver and passenger seats recline enough to provide a “lightness” feeling, says Hyundai. The design theme is “living area”, which aims to emphasize the spacious interior, where you can lift your feet and relax.

The Ioniq 5 comes in standard, long-range configurations, with 58 kilowatt hours or 77.4 kilowatt hours of battery capacity. Hyundai estimates that driving range will fall between 470-480 kilometers, or just under 300 miles, based on the World Harmonized European Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP). Hyundai has not yet certified its range estimates, but it is useful to remember that WLTP estimates are usually more optimistic than the EPA, so expect that number to be lower when the Ioniq 5 reaches the states.

Still, this represents a serious improvement over Hyundai’s previous EV offerings. The range of the Ioniq 5 is almost 20 percent greater than the Kona EV, for example, which previously had the longest range among Hyundai’s EV line.

The property of an EV is usually defined by how much time you need to spend charging the battery, and by that measure the Ioniq 5 looks like it can be a winner. Hyundai says the EV supports fast charging up to 350 kW DC and is capable of up to 80 percent in just 18 minutes.

The Ioniq 5 supports 400 volts and 800 volts charging. In fact, Hyundai’s E-GMP platform offers 800 V charging as standard, along with 400 V charging, without the need for additional adapters. Hyundai says that this multiple charging system is “the world’s first patented technology that operates the motor and inverter to increase 400 V to 800 V for stable charging compatibility”.

But that carrying capacity flows both ways – literally. The Ioniq 5 has a bidirectional charging feature that Hyundai calls a “cargo vehicle”, which can supply up to 3.6 kW of energy. There are two loading doors, one located under the second row seats and the other on the outside loading door. Using a converter, customers can charge a variety of electrical devices, including electric bicycles, scooters or camping equipment. The external port provides power even when the vehicle is switched off.

(An EV commercial shows actors using the Ioniq 5 to power a convection oven, treadmill and half a dozen speakers, all while camping.)

This bidirectional charging feature is not unique to Hyundai, but it is rare for a passenger vehicle. The Ford F-150 Powerboost, a hybrid version of its complete truck, can deliver up to 7.2 kW of power through a built-in generator. But 3.6 kW is a decent amount of output. To be sure, the Ioniq 5 does not generate its own energy, so any energy taken from your battery will end up out of the vehicle’s range.

If you’re wondering how the price of the Ioniq 5 compares to other electric SUVs, like the Ford Mustang Mach-E, the Volkswagen ID 4 or the Tesla Model Y … well, so do we. Hyundai has not released any pricing information for the EV, unfortunately, although we expect it to be in the $ 30,000- $ 40,000 range, before tax breaks.

Unlike Tesla or General Motors, Hyundai is still eligible for the $ 7,500 total federal EV tax credit, which is expected to help the automaker move many units. Customers will also be looking for EPA range certification and more details on partnering with EV charging station operators before making their decision.

For the first time in, well, forever, customers will have a range of options when it comes to buying mid-size electric SUVs. And Ioniq 5 already looks like it will be a strong candidate.