It was really not that long ago that non-Tesla electric cars had fewer than 100 miles of range on a full charge. Then that climbed to 100 miles, then 150 miles, then 200 miles … and we see now that (headline above) that the Hyundai IONIQ 6 is coming to town with a whopping 361 miles of range.
The average American drives about 40 miles a day. That’s enough range for a full week plus about two extra days left in the battery so as to not leave yourself in risk of any “range anxiety.” It’s more likely you’d charge up every night or every other night, but I just found that a fun way to think about it.
That EPA-rated 361 miles is of course for the longest-range version of the 2023 Hyundai IONIQ 6, the IONIQ 6 SE Long Range RWD trim. And that is thanks in part to the vehicle’s superb aerodynamics, with this trim getting a “fuel efficiency” rating of 140 MPGe. “IONIQ 6’s 140 combined MPGe rating matches two Lucid Air models that are at the top of Fueleconomy.gov’s 2023 Top Ten Vehicles list,” Hyundai notes.
Six different trims received EPA ratings, with ones with the lowest range still having 270 miles of range — plenty. Those are all-wheel drive (AWD) versions that pack a bit more punch in the power department and are a bit heavier. Here’s the full table of range and MPGe ratings:
All in all, the IONIQ 6 is a very compelling new electric vehicle. And, unless my eyes or brain deceive me, it’s got a bit of a throwback look to the GM EV1 and Honda Insight EV from the 1990s — but, of course, much better looking. I would presume that’s not an intentional nod to those OG EVs from non-Hyundai automakers, but rather from the aim of making a hyper-efficient vehicle. The closer you get to perfection, the more you have to follow certain guidelines or rules of physics.
“IONIQ 6’s ultra-low drag coefficient of 0.22 is assisted by a low nose, active air flaps, wheel gap reducers, elliptical wing-inspired spoiler with winglet, slight boattail structure, separation traps on both sides of the rear bumper, full underbody cover, deflectors and reduced wheel-arch gaps,” Hyundai writes.
“Continually improving the efficiency of our vehicles is always a top priority for our development teams,” says Olabisi Boyle, vice president of product planning and mobility strategy at Hyundai Motor North America. “Instead of just adding a larger battery to increase the range, we chose to optimize IONIQ 6’s aerodynamic performance and its Electric-Global Modular Platform for efficiency to produce these long driving ranges.” Congratulations to Hyundai. It’s a job well done, as proven by the EPA ratings.
The IONIQ 6 is certainly an attractive vehicle. I look forward to seeing one live in the wild!
Many more details on the IONIQ 6 can be found here. The one big detail we don’t have yet is pricing, but estimates are that it will start around the mid-$40,000s and get up to the mid-$50,000s as a starting price for the highest trim. Surely, with EPA range out now, it won’t be long until we have official pricing.
Source: Clean Technica