HYUNDAI has announced the launch of another new stand alone brand, known as IONIQ, and dedicated to battery electric vehicles, opening a new chapter as a leader in the era of electrified mobility.
Under the IONIQ brand, Hyundai will leverage its industry leading manufacturing know-how in EVs to introduce three new dedicated models over the next four years, with more innovative offerings to follow.
The creation of IONIQ brand, which joins Genesis as the company’s other independent brand, is in response to fast growing market demand and accelerates Hyundai’s plan to lead the global EV market.
To fulfill IONIQ’s brand mission, Hyundai will combine its current EV capabilities such as ultra-fast charging, spacious interiors, and battery-supplied power, with future innovations that combine design, technologies and services for a seamless journey.
Hyundai will be launching a range of numerically named EVs under the new brand, with the even numbers used for sedans and the odd numbers for SUVs. The first model will be the IONIQ 5 midsize CUV that will launch in early 2021.
The IONIQ 5 is based on the concept EV ‘45’, which Hyundai unveiled at the International Motor Show (IAA) 2019 in Frankfurt as a homage to its very first concept car.
Its designers took inspiration from the past and integrated it with cutting-edge parametric pixels, a unique design element that Hyundai designers will continue to incorporate into future IONIQ models.
In 2022, Hyundai will introduce the IONIQ 6 sedan, which is based on the company’s latest concept EV ‘Prophecy’, unveiled in March, followed by IONIQ 7, a large SUV in early 2024.
Prophecy’s iconic exterior design is characterised by its aerodynamic silhouette of perfect proportions. All IONIQ vehicle designs will have a common theme of ‘Timeless Value’. The vehicles will be inspired by past models, but will be a bridge to the future.
Hyundai also recently announced that it aims to sell one million battery electric vehicles by 2025, an achievement that would give it a 10 per cent global market share, and a leadership position in the global electric vehicle space.
Under Strategy 2025, Hyundai itself (aside from its new IONIQ brand) aims to become the world’s third-largest automaker of eco-friendly vehicles by 2025, with 560,000 BEV sales, in addition to its FCEV sales.
The launch of the IONIQ brand, dedicated to EV models, reinforces the company’s commitment to clean mobility and reflects its ongoing transformation as a Smart Mobility Solution Provider with zero-emissions solutions.
Hyundai has celebrated the launch of IONIQ by turning the London Eye into a giant letter Q, using electric lights, just before the official reopening of the famous attraction.
Despite now being a full brand, the IONIQ name is also no stranger to Hyundai customers, having been used on a range of its electric and PHEV powered sedans.
