The 2017 Hyundai Ioniq EV 5 Things You Need To Know

Let’s face it. Love them or hate them, electric cars are here – and here to stay. With the technology that powers these silent tarmac ships improving every day, it is highly possible we will all go the way of electric cars in a few years to come.

Now is the time to start dipping your toes in the waters of electric vehicles, trust me, you’ll be shocked at the experience. In a good way, of course. And what better way to tread these waters than by getting one of the most affordable electric vehicles on the market, the 2017.

Hyundai Ionic EV (and yes, the EV stands for electric vehicle).

Why the Hyundai Ionic EV? Well, let’s take a short drive to find out, shall we?

The Hyundai Motor Company was founded in 1967, making it a (relatively) newcomer to the motor industry. But this new kid on the block surprised many major players with its innovative ideas that helped it to quickly carve out a name for itself in a very short space time.

Initially starting off by “borrowing” parts from other established players on the market, like Ford and Mitsubishi, Hyundai quickly became known for making reliable and dependable cars.

And most importantly, it became known for making affordable cars – affordable to buy and affordable to maintain.

Hyundai quickly outgrew its dependence on other car manufacturers for parts and started developing their own technology. And much to the surprise of many, Hyundai’s efforts proved to be fruitful as their development teams did an excellent job of producing efficient, durable, and highly rated engines, transmissions, and body designs.

The hard work Hyundai put into developing and marketing their vehicles has certainly paid off, putting the company among the top 3 biggest car manufacturers in the world, with its Genesis subsidiary taking first place. And the rest, as they say, is history.

But that’s not the end of Hyundai’s story, after all, there is the future to consider, and the future starts now – with the Hyundai Ioniq EV.

Electric vehicles are not new. With many players already reaping the rewards of jumping in first, Hyundai is late to the party again. But as usual, late coming seems to be Hyundai’s modus operandi and that for a very good reason – to disrupt and steal the party.

Let me show you a few of the ways in which the Hyundai Ioniq EV is doing just that.

One thing Hyundai has done well with the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq EV is to keep its design as close to conventional cars as possible. This definitely goes against the grain as most electric vehicle car makers are designing their cars in a way that ostentatiously shouts, “EV”.

For an electric vehicle, the Hyundai Ioniq EV does a good job of easily blending in with other car models, the only 2 tell-tale signs being the solid front (it doesn’t have a grille as there are no emissions) and the “electric” badge on its rear end.

Although the Hyundai Ioniq doesn’t feature “futuristic” curves and lines found on many electric vehicles, it still does look dashingly handsome.

If you’re not in California, then you have to wait a bit before you can have and drive the Hyundai Ioniq EV in your state. That’s because the Hyundai Ioniq EV is only available in California – for now.

While this may look like it will put a dent in Hyundai’s profits, it’s actually a great marketing strategy (according to yours truly at least). It’s like a kid looking through the window at some candy he cannot have. The moment he gets the money, he will certainly rush into the candy store to satisfy his long-festering desire for candy.

California is the candy store, and the Hyundai Ioniq EV is the candy.

While the rest of the US watches Californians enjoy this amazing EV, the desire to own one grows by the day. When the candy store opens, there definitely will be a stampede.

Planned or not, kudos Hyundai.

Hyundai being Hyundai, they always have a way of grabbing attention when they come in late to what other car makers are doing. One way they are causing ripples in the electric vehicle market is in the way they are selling the Hyundai Ioniq EV – or not.

With a starting price of $30,385, the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq EV is cheaper than most of its competitors. But affordable as that is, when you factor in tax credits from the federal government (to the tune of $7,500.00) and an additional $2,500.00 from the state of California, the price of the Hyundai Ioniq EV drops to a tantalizingly sweet $20,385.00

As if that deal is not sweet enough, Hyundai is trying out a new model that will help make the Ioniq EV affordable to the masses - a first of its kind new subscription program. How does that work? For $2,500.00 down payment and a $275.00 per month “subscription fee”, you get to drive home in your very own brand new Hyundai Ioniq EV.

The subscription lasts 36 months, has no mileage limits, and covers all (yes, all) wear items and scheduled maintenance. And that’s not even all.

Hyundai also promises to reimburse customers for the cost of electricity they will use to juice up the Ioniq EV’s battery (up to 50,000 miles). And the best part is, unlike a normal lease, you have unlimited mileage on the Hyundai Ioniq EV’s subscription plan.

If that is not an electrifying deal, then I don’t know what is! This plan is a very attractive one considering the fact that the resale value of electric cars is very poor. So, if you are in California, this is probably the best deal you can get (possibly on any car).

The 2017 Hyundai Ioniq EV is equipped with a 28.0-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, the smallest in its category. But don’t let that put you off as Ioniq EV actually travels further on a single charge than other better-endowed EV’s in its category, reaching distances of 124 miles per charge. This is far much better than the Ford Focus electric and one of the category pioneers, the Nissan Leaf.

The reason the Hyundai Ioniq EV manages to achieve excellent results is no accident, it’s by design – literally. Hyundai designed the Ioniq EV with aerodynamics and weight savings in mind so as to maximize the output of the smaller battery it carries.

Some of the design elements that help optimize the Ioniq EV’s efficiency include a permanently closed-off upper-grille, a nearly flat undercarriage, and an aero-efficient Kamm-tail. These clever design features help the Hyundai Ioniq EV cut through the air with a very impressive low drag coefficient of just 0.24.

And to get the Ioniq rolling, Hyundai kitted this impressive EV with model specific 16-inch wheels wrapped in a set of Michelin Energy Saver A/S all-season tires. This combination helps in lowering the rolling resistance, meaning the car will require less power to move.

The 2017 Hyundai Ioniq EV comes with a curb weight of 3240 pounds, making it 384 pounds lighter than the Focus Electric and 150 pounds lighter than VW’s e-Golf and the Nissan Leaf. This massive reduction in weight also assists considerably in making the Ioniq EV more energy efficient.

One of the biggest challenges to running an electric vehicle is the battery – or the charging time. Thankfully, Hyundai is making great strides in shortening the charging times of their batteries as much as possible.

According to Hyundai, recharging the Ioniq EV takes a mere 4 hours and 25 minutes using a 240-volt power source while the battery pack can be charged to 80 percent capacity in as little as 23 minutes using a 100-kilowatt DC fast-charging system.

Very impressive figures indeed. This makes the Hyundai Ioniq EV one of the easiest electric vehicles to live with.

Although the Hyundai Ioniq EV is a Johnny come lately, this is definitely one Johnny well worth waiting for – especially for those who are not in California. But as they say, good things are waiting for, and the Hyundai Ioniq EV is definitely one of them.

All in all, the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq EV is one of the best electric vehicles on the market, and as the story of Hyundai continues, the Ioniq EV will definitely be one of the prominent players in the company’s bright future.