Hyundai IONIQ 5 with increased mileage worries

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As Hyundai Motor Company's Ioniq 5 electric vehicle is set to officially release at the end of this month, consumers complaints about the rather short mileage have increased.

According to the information posted on Naver's'Ioniq Owners Club cafes, the official price list of Ioniq 5 will be distributed from the 19th, and the rear-wheel-drive model will start shipping from the 28th.

Prospective owners who have pre-contracted for the Ionic 5 are excited about the mileage as well as the excitement of the vehicle delivery. According to a pre-distributed leaflet, the long-range four-wheel-drive model to which the front-wheel motor is added has an approved mileage of less than 400 km by the Ministry of Environment.

The combined official mileage of the long-range four-wheel-drive exclusive model is 390km (the city center is 430km, the highway is 340km). In the case of the long-range four-wheel-drive prestige, a combined 370 km was set (406 km in the city center and 326 km in the highway).

The mileage of the Ionic 5 Long Range 4-wheel drive Prestige model was measured to be shorter than that of the initial Chevrolet Volt EV model (383km) and the Kia Niro EV model (385km). While driving at a constant speed, it is possible to go from Seoul to Busan toll gate without charge, but it can be seen as a disappointing result for consumers who expected a driving distance of 500 km.

In the case of long-range rear-wheel-drive models, the authorized mileage varies depending on whether or not the built-in cam is applied.

The official mileage of the long-range rear-wheel manual exclusive model without the built-in cam is 429 km (481 km in the city center, 365 km on the highway), and when the built-in cam is applied, it goes down to 421 km (469 km in the city center, 362 km on the highway).

The combined mileage of the Ionic 5 Long Range Rear-Wheel Prestige was 401km (446km in the city center and 345km on the highway). There is a slight difference compared to the room temperature mileage of 405km indicated on the integrated website for low-emission vehicles by the Ministry of Environment.

For the time being, Hyundai's Ioniq 5 is unlikely to avoid consumer controversy over mileage. The Ioniq 5 Standard, which is scheduled to be released in the second or early third quarter, is also evaluated as difficult to meet consumers' needs for mileage.

The best thing Hyundai can do to promote the sale of the Ioniq 5 is to utilize the ultra-fast charging infrastructure.

On the 14th, Hyundai Motor Group held an opening ceremony for the ultra-high-speed electric vehicle charging brand E-pit in the direction of Mokpo at the Hwaseong Service Area. Six chargers were installed at 12 rest areas nationwide, and it is characterized by being able to charge up to 350kW. According to the Hyundai Motor Group, the Ioniq 5 takes about 18 minutes to charge the battery from 10% to 80% at an ultra-fast charge.

The problem is the price. For non-members, it costs 500 won per 1 kWh to perform super-fast charging at the E-pit charging station. It is a price that is inevitably expensive for electric vehicle users.

The Hyundai Motor Group classified customers of Hyundai Motors, Kia Motors, and Genesis electric cars such as Ioniq 5 as prime members. When classified as a prime member, super-fast charging is possible at 299.2 won per 1kWh.

Unlike domestic Tesla superchargers, the E-pit charging station is located within a highway rest area. You have to pay a separate highway toll to access the supercharger charging station, but the E-pit charging station doesn't have to worry about paying extra tolls.

The only way Hyundai Motor Group can alleviate the current Ioniq 5 mileage dissatisfaction is to strengthen the use of the E-pit. If it gets positive responses from consumers, it is also necessary to reinforce a solution that can be recharged comfortably in the residence. If all of this is in place, consumer dissatisfaction with mileage may gradually ease.

On the other hand, the price of the Ionic 5 long-range is 49.8 million won for exclusive use and 54.55 million won for prestige, based on 3.5% tax incentives for individual consumption tax. If you want a four-wheel drive, you have to choose a front-wheel motor, which is a common option, and the option cost for the front-wheel motor is 3 million won.