The Tesla Model 3 has effective had its whole segment to itself since its debut five years ago this month. But it's finally about to see some direct competition, with the Hyundai Ioniq 6 aiming straight for Tesla's midsize sedan.
Hyundai has revealed details regarding its streamlined four-door this week, promising nothing short of a 379-mile range (in the WLTP cycle) and a choice of two battery packs. This will be a big big over the range offered by its E-GMP platform siblings, and we have the sedan's aerodynamic shape to thank for some of that advantage.
But there's more to it than pure range, as the Ioniq 6 will seek to offer a unique interior experience to go with the avant-garde bodywork.
"The innovative interior is meticulously thought out as a cocoon-like personal space, enhanced with the latest technologies to create a safe, fun, and stress-free driving experience," says Thomas Schemera, Executive Vice President, Global Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Customer Experience Division at Hyundai.
| The design of the innovative sedan is a nod to streamlined cars of decades past. | "The spacious interior, with sustainability and usability at its heart, once again represents a step forward for electric vehicles, in line with the values of our customers," he added.
The Ioniq 6 won't be short on power either, with Hyundai promising 320 hp and well over 400 lb-ft of torque—numbers that should be familiar to those who've shown an interest in the Ioniq 5. But you probably won't see too many reminders of the sedan's corporate siblings inside or out.
"The Ioniq 6 Electrified Streamliner will provide a unique and distinctive experience for drivers and passengers, optimized in every way to redefine electric mobility," said Jaehoon Chang, President and CEO, Hyundai Motor Company.
Read on to find out when we'll see this new sedan stateside.
| Geely has launched an entire brand for electric pickups. | We tend to think of electric pickup trucks as distinctly American vehicles, but they'll soon have some unexpected competition from across the Pacific. Lotus and Volvo parent company Geely has launched a new EV pickup truck brand dubbed Radar, showing off the first model in a planned lineup this week.
The Radar RD6 is meant as a lifestyle pickup—a segment that has barely existed in China until very recently—and it's aimed at younger urbanites seeking to get out into the city on the weekends. With a manageable footprint and just enough room for some camping gear and a handful of mountain bikes, the RD6 promises to be that weekend family truckster while offering a range of 373 miles in the CLTC cycle.
Geely has greater plans for the brand than just this particular pickup model, which will kick off the lineup, and it will be just the latest in a series of EV brands recently launched by Geely. In fact, the automaker has been on something of a brand creation marathon lately, with plenty of platforms and engineering now in its repertoire.
Would the RD6 do well if it were offered stateside? That's up for debate, though it's difficult to ignore the fact that current and arriving EV trucks have tended to sit in a slightly larger size segment. But it shouldn't be long before demand materializes for smaller lifestyle pickups that are electric.
| | | As the first round of production-grade Rimac Neveras rolls off the production line in Zagreb, Croatia, CEO Mate Rimac wants you to know it wasn't without difficulty. Having been through a five-year development process, the company endured 45 physical crash tests, 18 prototypes, and three different powertrains. In spite of this, and with the newfound ability to crank out 50 hand-built units a year, the Rimac Nevera will be in production for three years.
This is good news for enthusiasts worldwide, seeing as the Nevera represents a turning point in the world of performance vehicles. The four-motored, 120-kWh all-electric hypercar produces an astounding 1914 hp and 1740 lb-ft of torque, but the technological advancements go beyond the numbers. | | | There are plenty of BMW models that we just don't see stateside, and aside from the usual curiosities like 7-Series models with four-cylinder engines or city cars like the 2-Series Active Tourer, Munich has seldom sent its factory-armored cars stateside. Kofi Annan had an armored E38-generation 7-Series in New York during his tenure as UN Secretary General, but that was likely your best chance of seeing one of these rare sedans on this side of the Atlantic. But just like Mercedes-Benz, BMW has an in-house division for producing armored versions of some of its models, which have traditionally included the 7-Series and the BMW X5. The High Security models, as they're officially known, are a much more common sight in Europe and the Middle East. | | | Spread the word: If you know someone interested in staying on top of the rapidly growing EV segment, feel free to pass this newsletter along. | | | | | | Follow Us | | | | | | | | Unsubscribe Privacy Notice | | | Autoweek.com
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