Hyundai Motor Company announced the launch of its new IONIQ brand dedicated to battery electric vehicles, opening a new chapter for them.
Under the IONIQ brand, Hyundai will offer customer centric EV experiences centred on connected lifestyle solutions in line with Hyundai’s vision of ‘Progress for Humanity’. Using their expertise with EVs, they will introduce three new dedicated models over the next four years with more innovative models to follow.
To fulfill IONIQ’s brand mission, Hyundai will combine its current EV capabilities – such as ultra-fast charging, spacious interior, and battery-supplied power – with future innovations that combine design, technologies and services to integrate in-car and out-of-car experiences for a seamless journey.
“The IONIQ brand will change the paradigm of EV customer experience,” said Won-hong Cho, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer at Hyundai Motor Company. “With a new emphasis on connected living, we will offer electrified experiences integral to an eco-friendly lifestyle.”
Rebirth of IONIQ
Hyundai first introduced the term IONIQ, which fuses “ion” and “unique”, when it announced Project IONIQ, a long-term research and development project focused on eco-friendly mobility. Based on the project, in 2016 Hyundai introduced a vehicle named IONIQ, the world’s first and only model to offer a choice of three electrified powertrain options – hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid and battery electric – within a single body type. IONIQ will continue to create a new balance in clean mobility synchronizing eco-products within an eco-system of lifestyle solutions bringing connected living to a new generation.
IONIQ 5 / IONIQ 6 / IONIQ 7
Hyundai will be launching a range of numerically named EVs under the new brand, with the even numbers used for sedans and the odd numbers for SUVs.
The first model under the IONIQ brand will be the IONIQ 5 midsize CUV that will launch in early 2021. IONIQ 5 is based on the concept EV ‘45’, which Hyundai unveiled at the International Motor Show (IAA) 2019 in Frankfurt as a homage to its very first concept car. IONIQ 5’s designers took inspiration from the past and integrated it with cutting-edge parametric pixels, a unique design element that Hyundai designers will continue to incorporate into future IONIQ models.
In 2022, Hyundai will introduce IONIQ 6 sedan, which is based on the company’s latest concept EV ‘Prophecy’, unveiled in March; followed by IONIQ 7, a large SUV in early 2024. Prophecy’s iconic exterior design is characterized by its aerodynamic silhouette of perfect proportions.
Likewise, IONIQ vehicles’ designs will have a common theme of ‘Timeless Value’. The vehicles will be inspired by past models, but they will be a bridge to the future.
E-GMP platform
IONIQ brand models sit on an Electric Global Modular Platform, known as E-GMP, that will enable fast charging capability and plentiful driving range.
The EV-dedicated platform allows Hyundai to reimagine the vehicle interior as “smart living space” with highly adjustable seats, wireless connectivity and unique features such as a glove box designed as drawers. The platform paradigm shift will extend into the user interfaces that will be simple, intuitive and ergonomically designed to help occupants feel at ease.
Strategy 2025
Hyundai recently announced that the group aims to sell 1 million units of battery electric vehicles and take 10 percent share to become a leader in the global EV field by 2025.
Under Strategy 2025, Hyundai Motor Company itself aims to become the world’s third-largest automaker of eco-friendly vehicles by 2025, with 560,000 BEV sales in addition to FCEV sales.
The launch of the IONIQ brand dedicated to EV models reinforces their commitment to clean mobility and reflects its ongoing transformation as a Smart Mobility Solution Provider with zero-emissions solutions.
