The PluginIndia team, got a chance to visit the Hyundai India electric car stall at the Auto Expo 2023. Here are our thoughts on it.
Video : Hyundai is just not doing enough...
We visited the Hyundai stall at the Auto Expo 23 and there was a huge crowd at the Hyundai stall. I think the auto expo organizers gave passes to hundreds of YouTubers and Media houses. And ofcourse there was Shahrukh Khan - who has been their brand ambassador for 20+ years and they made him do some PR talk! But overall, the Arena was jam packed with anticipation!
And the most amazing thing was the Hyundai pavilion did not have any ICE cars. They showed 2 electric cars - The Sleek aerodynamic Ioniq 6, And the star of the show Hyundai Ioniq 5.
And then of course Hyundai had to do it. They had to get a Hydrogen car, the Hyundai Nexo, which was placed right in the corner where no one cared! Hey Hyundai- we understand that the South Korean government has been lobbied by the auto industry to support Hydrogen - but no one in India cares. 99% of Hydrogen is produced using natural gas methane reforming and India cannot afford to waste our resources in extremely wasteful technologies like Hydrogen. So please stop peddling your Hydrogen car idea and focus on Battery Electrics!
Back to the Hyundai event at the auto Expo - It was all about the Ioniq 5 electric car. Hyundai India unveiled the introductory price of Rs 44.95 lakh (ex-showroom) for the first 500 customers. This makes it Rs 16 lakh cheaper than the Kia EV6.
Finally my favorite aspect of the Ioniq 5 Design is the Parametric Pixel LED headlamps. That is a very unique design of the Ioniq 5. Finally the Ioniq 5 battery comes with a 8 year and 1,60,000 km warranty , 3 kW and 11 kW AC home chargers.
And the most amazing thing was the Hyundai pavilion did not have any ICE cars. They showed 2 electric cars - The Sleek aerodynamic Ioniq 6, And the star of the show Hyundai Ioniq 5.
And then of course Hyundai had to do it. They had to get a Hydrogen car, the Hyundai Nexo, which was placed right in the corner where no one cared! Hey Hyundai- we understand that the South Korean government has been lobbied by the auto industry to support Hydrogen - but no one in India cares. 99% of Hydrogen is produced using natural gas methane reforming and India cannot afford to waste our resources in extremely wasteful technologies like Hydrogen. So please stop peddling your Hydrogen car idea and focus on Battery Electrics!
Back to the Hyundai event at the auto Expo - It was all about the Ioniq 5 electric car. Hyundai India unveiled the introductory price of Rs 44.95 lakh (ex-showroom) for the first 500 customers. This makes it Rs 16 lakh cheaper than the Kia EV6.
- The main USP of the car is the 72.6 kWh battery pack and the insane range.
- The real world range should be more than 500 km which is incredible.
- The next important feature is the hyper quick charging - 10% to 80% in 18 mins at a 150 kW charger.
- Hyundai are installing 180 kW DC chargers in multiple cities, So highway trips will not be a problem.
Finally my favorite aspect of the Ioniq 5 Design is the Parametric Pixel LED headlamps. That is a very unique design of the Ioniq 5. Finally the Ioniq 5 battery comes with a 8 year and 1,60,000 km warranty , 3 kW and 11 kW AC home chargers.
The Ioniq 5 was displayed at the Auto Expo
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The Ioniq 5's Vehicle to Load feature was powering a band's equipments
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Now, are you thinking of getting the Ioniq 5? My recommendation is to test the BYD Atto3 - BYD electric cars are a far superior proposition than any car offered by Hyundai. BYD has a better, safer battery pack, more vertically integrated drivetrain. They may have less bells and whistles compared to Hyundai cars, but BYD cars have more substance IMHO.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 and 6 have sold more than a lakh units in 2022 globally. So these cars are proven around the world. But BYD sells more than a lakh EV’s each month. Hyundai, according to me, is not doing enough. Importing a limited number of Ioniq’s and not showcasing any sort of EV vision for India is disappointing. I expected an update on Hyundai's India Electric Car strategy, but all we got was typical auto PR nonsense.
Hyundai are planning to launch 6 electric cars in 4 years according to our inside sources but no one spoke about the plan or the timelines. All in all the Hyundai India management does seem to be interested in electric cars for India. But Hyundai India still does not have a coherent EV strategy unlike say a Tata Motors or a BYD.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 and 6 have sold more than a lakh units in 2022 globally. So these cars are proven around the world. But BYD sells more than a lakh EV’s each month. Hyundai, according to me, is not doing enough. Importing a limited number of Ioniq’s and not showcasing any sort of EV vision for India is disappointing. I expected an update on Hyundai's India Electric Car strategy, but all we got was typical auto PR nonsense.
Hyundai are planning to launch 6 electric cars in 4 years according to our inside sources but no one spoke about the plan or the timelines. All in all the Hyundai India management does seem to be interested in electric cars for India. But Hyundai India still does not have a coherent EV strategy unlike say a Tata Motors or a BYD.