3 things that make the Hyundai Ioniq 5 a great EV
It charges faster than a Porsche and can power your fridge
Range
Here’s where we get on to perhaps the 5’s most important feature: its range.
With the 72.6 kWh long-range battery, the 5 will be capable of driving up to 300 miles on one full charge.
For a vehicle of this size, that’s not too bad. It brings the challenge to EVs like the Ford Mustang Mach-E, and the VW ID.4. With many EVs nowhitting the 200-mile mark quite easily, 300 miles of range is likely to become the new benchmark, and the 5 is already there.
What’s more, the 5 can charge, bloody quick, too.
Fast-charging
In fact, if the Ioniq 5 was on sale today it would be one of the fastest, if notthefastest, charging EVs on the planet.
According to Hyundai, the 5 can charge from 10% to 80% in just 18 minutes when using a 350 kW charger. Sure, there aren’t many of those around right now, but being able to charge this fast puts it in the same league as the Porsche Taycan.
Now, let’s be honest, we’ve never lived in a world where we can make a serious comparison between a Hyundai and a Porsche. What a time to be alive.
[Read:How do you build a pet-friendly gadget? We asked experts and animal owners]
Bidirectional charging
But that’s not all. The Hyundai Ioniq 5’s best feature is its vehicle-to-load charging feature. In normal people speak, the V2L feature is a type of bidirectional charging which lets drivers recharge or power other electronics like ebikes, laptops, TVs, fridges, and so on, directly from the vehicle.
There’s a plug socket inside the vehicle for smaller electronics, and an adaptor outside that can be used in thecar’s regular charge port to power pretty much anything — well, as long as it doesn’t draw more than 3.6 kW of power.
It’s not vehicle-to-grid charging, so you can’t power your home from this, but it’s close.
Y’know,just yesterday I wrote aboutvehicle-to-grid charging and how it could be a lifeline for those experiencing power outages because of adverse weather.
Hopefully, Hyundai’s V2L system is a sign that fully fledged V2G hardware is on the way. It’s the next logical step for this technology and Hyundai should definitely make it happen.
V2G tech can help secure energy, reduce load on local grids, and provide support in times of emergency. Get on it, Hyundai.
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Story byMatthew Beedham
Matthew is the editor of SHIFT. He likes electric cars, and other things with wheels, wings, or hulls.Matthew is the editor of SHIFT. He likes electric cars, and other things with wheels, wings, or hulls.
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