It very much seems like the electric vehicle world is a fast moving place. Not long ago you would say Tesla were the undisputed kings of the genre, with them producing plenty of cars that were selling well and proving mostly popular with the consumer. But then other manufacturers started to get in on the act and suddenly, Tesla found themselves with a lot more competition. And they very much find themselves as not the only players in the EV world right now.
Kia and Hyundai are perhaps two of their rivals that Tesla are most worried about. The South Korean car companies have really gone to town, producing some truly brilliant cars over the last couple of years or so and neither company is showing any signs of slowing down. Hyundai have of course given us the incredible Ioniq 5, and then we have the EV6 from Kia. And these are two of the cars most likely to have Tesla, and indeed other car manufacturers, worried the most. They are two of the best EVs in the world right now and things will only get better.
The Styling Of Their EVs
First of all, we have to comment on the styling of Hyundai and Kia’s cars. The Ioniq 5 is a true lesson in how to correctly style your electric vehicle. Most EVs it is probably fair to say take a lot of design cues from existing cars. Indeed, many electric cars actually just have the same styling as regular cars as they use near enough the same body. But Hyundai did not want to do that with the Ioniq 5. They created a boxy, retro, square shaped car that took inspiration from the Hyundai Pony, and looked straight out of the 1980s.
The Ioniq 5 is so distinctive that you will easily notice it in the streets. The same can also be said of the EV6 from Kia. While it is not the most radical looking EV, it does have quite a nice profile and its own unique styling, and again, you will know what it is in an instant. If you see a Tesla from afar, you might struggle to realize what it is. And they do look just like every other car. Plus, other cars such as the Audi Q4 e-tron just continue with the big, blobby shape that we have learned to hate from SUVs.
The Platform For Their EVs
Hyundai and Kia are affiliate companies, and they have a very, very good EV platform for their cars. It is the E-GMP platform, or to give it its full term, the Electric Global Modular Platform. This platform is dedicated to EVs from Hyundai and sister company Kia, the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 using it as does the EV6. Some of the great features about this platform are that it allows for rapid charging of the EV in just 18 minutes.
Plus, you can charge the EV with either a 400V or 800V charger without needing to adjust anything manually. So, you can visit any nearby charging station to charge up your Hyundai or Kia. A second generation of the platform is coming in 2025, and will see the current platform's variable battery packs replaced with standardised cell-to-pack units, allowing them to be flexibly integrated according to the needs of the vehicle. Out of all of the platforms out there for EVs, Hyundai have developed one of the very best, offering good charging times, a range of at least 300 miles plus fantastic efficiency and performance.
The Price Point Of The EVs
Something else that makes an EV from Hyundai and Kia more attractive than one from their rivals has to be the price. And we have to use Tesla as the barometer here again. For example, the RRP of the Tesla Model Y in the United States is around $59,000. Compare that to the price of an EV6 which is around the $40,900. That is a huge difference, and what are you actually getting more from a Tesla versus a Kia? That isn’t something that is easy to explain to anyone.
Smashing The EV World
Hyundai and Kia are simply smashing it in the world of EVs right now. The styling is just next level, and the new Ioniq 6 really does build on what these two manufacturers are doing. Then we have the fact that they are so well priced, with plenty of features of course and offering comparable if not better products compared to their rivals. Plus, the E-GMP platform is perhaps the best there is right now for electric vehicles. These two companies are doing an incredible job, and it's unlikely anyone will top them for a while yet.
Sources: Hyundai, Kia