Tag: Ioniq

  • Hyundai Opening An EV Factory In Georgia

    Hyundai Opening An EV Factory In Georgia

    Hyundai has been outlined as one of the greatest threats to Tesla’s dominance in EVs. Its Ioniq 5 not only won the world car of the year award this year but it also forms the basis for cars like the Kia EV6 and the Genesis GV60. The Kia EV6 is even coming to India as Tesla is shelving its plans on entering the market. Now, doubling down on its focus on electric vehicles, Hyundai is committing to a new EV first factory in the US which the rumour mill points towards being in the state of Georgia.

    Already, the South Korean giant has started production of the GV70 by Genesis in its factory in Alabama. Genesis is its premium luxury brand. Overall, Hyundai has announced an investment of $7.4 billion with a focus on electrification. A new EV factory has been on the cards for a while.

    Hyundai was negotiating incentive packages with the various governments of states. Georgia was already mentioned to be one of these states as Hyundai and Kia both have manufacturing facilities in the state.

    “We are excited to announce a new EV plant plan in the United States soon, but we do not have details to share at this stage,” said a Hyundai spokesperson confirming the new facility.

    Hyundai is said to be in an advanced stage of discussions with officials in Georgia for the dedicated electric car factory. So far in the case of the Ioniq 5, it is only being produced in South Korea and Indonesia. It will also be manufacturing the Ioniq 5 in India. Localizing the car in the US will make it more competitive with Tesla.

    Already the car has received a great response in the US. It is sold out for up to a year in some regions of North America. There are plans for bringing more cars under the Ioniq brand and even the Kia EV6 is doing quite well.

  • Hyundai Ioniq Recalled in South Korea over Rolling Backwards Problem

    Hyundai Ioniq Recalled in South Korea over Rolling Backwards Problem

    The South Korean manufacturer launched the Ioniq in its home market two months or so ago, yet Hyundai had to recall the electric drive hatchback after a video was published on YouTube. That particular video can be found at the end of this story. Just skip to the 4-minute, 4-second mark and observe what happens.

    Let’s put into words what occurred there. The driver took the Ioniq on an uphill parking exit. He brings the car to a stop while still on the exit ramp. After that, the driver takes his foot off the brake pedal, expecting the hill start assist system to keep things under control. But it doesn’t. He then pumps the throttle pedal repeatedly, only to find out that the Hyundai Ioniq doesn’t do a hill start.

    After the car had started rolling backwards, a firm press of the brake put an end to this dangerous incident. The South Korean motoring media took notice of the incident and Hyundai paid attention, prompting an internal investigation. And as expected, the company decided to recall all Ioniq vehicles made until March 14 for a software update. The Ioniq Hybrid, Plug-in, and Electric made after March 14 have been given the updated software, so they’re not included in this campaign.

    Slated to debut in the United States of America later this week at the New York Auto Show, the Hyundai Ioniq arrives just in time for the 2017 model year. The Ioniq Hybrid will be the first model to hit dealerships nationwide, followed by the Ioniq Electric and the Ioniq Plug-in variants by the end of the calendar year.

    Pricing information for the U.S. market isn’t available at the time of writing, yet don’t expect Hyundai to sell the Ioniq Hybrid for more money than Toyota is selling the fourth-generation Prius. More specifically, the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid could hold a suggested retail price of under $25,000 sans destination.