The 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Electric gets a big range boost—up to 170 EPA-rated miles, according to results posted Tuesday by the federal agency.
The much higher range for the Ioniq Electric is due to a significantly larger battery-pack capacity that Hyundai has been saying is due since launching the Ioniq Electric in 2016. The pack goes up from 28 kwh in the 2019 model to about 38 kwh in the 2020 model.
EPA test info also confirm that the U.S.-spec Ioniq Electric will get the same motor upgrade given to versions in other markets—raising output to 134 hp (100 kw), from 118 hp (88 kw).
The battery in the 2020 model takes 5.8 hours to charge on Level 2 (240V), with the kind of charge point you might install in your garage or encounter at a hotel or shopping center.
2019 Hyundai Ioniq Electric
For 2020, this model gains a coasting guide, plus a predictive energy management system that takes terrain into account, by changing regenerative braking settings automatically.
Otherwise expect the upgraded 10.25-inch touchscreen display and refreshed interior that was introduced to the refreshed Ioniq Electric for Europe earlier in the year. It can simultaneously connect two phones, has expanded music-streaming options, and includes a cloud-based voice-recognition system. Surrounding dash controls, for climate control, for instance, now move to capacitive touch buttons.
The flip side of range that doesn’t see enough discussion is efficiency, and for this the Ioniq Electric is the best you can get—better than Tesla, even. With the larger battery that efficiency drops slightly for 2020; it achieves 133 MPGe combined (145 MPGe city, 121 highway), or about 25 kwh per 100 miles, while the 2019 model gets 136 MPGe (150 MPGe city, 122 highway).
You might have to wait a little while yet. Green Car Reports has reached out to Hyundai in the U.S. and hasn't yet received a timeline for when the 2020 models will reach dealerships.
[Ed note: Well, the most efficient claim didn't last long, did it? The day after this piece was written, the release of EPA ratings for the 2020 Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus showed it as now having better efficiency ratings than the Ioniq Electric. The title has been tweaked to suit, but we haven't changed the story text to reflect the change in hierarchy.]
