I’m seeing new Ioniq5s pop up all over town; they’re the latest hot new thing on wheels. And as previously disclosed, I approve. It reminds me of some of the best origami-mobiles coming out of Giugiaro’s studios in the late 70s and early 80s. A Golf on steroids with a dose of show-car dressing.
This was the first one I saw up close, which made me realize it’s not all that big; roughly similar to the Subaru Crosstek next to it. That’s a good thing. If I was in the market for a new car, this would be at the top of my list.
The chatter in the industry is that the Koreans (Hyundai and Kia) are poised to expand their already strong #2 position in EVs behind Tesla, in the passenger car segment. They’re building a large EV-dedicated plant in the US, and their latest offerings (Ioniq5, EV6) are off to a strong start. The Ioniq5 alone is already nipping at the Mach E’s hooves and almost triple of the VW ID.4, and combined Hyundai-Kia EV sales are way ahead of the rest of the pack.
Of course the gap between them and Tesla is still huge, but it’s good to see some genuine competition starting to shape up.
Funny that you consider the Ionic 5 “not all that big” – every time I see one I’m surprised how big it is. The pre-launch photos made it look the size of Mk4 or 5 Golf because of the well-judged proportions.
I’m not a fan of electric, but if I was then I would choose the EV6 in preference – not just because of the looks, but the ergonomics are reportedly better.
Shame about the eyelashes on the wheel-arches – on one side they match the wheels and on the other side they don’t…..
Now I can’t un-see that Uncle Mellow. Perhaps Hyundai should’ve done directional rims like those on the MN12 Thunderbirds. It always drove me nuts when someone would mount those on the wrong side, especially when they would have only one incorrectly mounted on the same side. “How can you not see this?!?!”, I would always ask… Maybe Hyundai was trying to avoid that scenario, but it that were the case, don’t decorate those wheel arches as such.
As to these “popping up all over…” as Paul says, definitely. I am seeing these all over the Baltimore area lately.
I’m in the EV6 camp over the Ioniq5, as well. Although the latter isn’t bad, and the former is a little more, it seems to be worth it. Frankly, it just looks better.
With that said, if it weren’t for the whole EV charging infrastructure thing, the latest Korean EVs, along with the very good Mach-E (the new Bolt EUV is okay, too), would all be eating the Model Y’s lunch right now.
No they wouldn’t. They don’t yet have the production capacity; they’re selling all that they can make. Until they build their new EV plant in the US, their EV sales will be severely production constrained.
I was looking at the Irish Kia website today ( purely out of interest ) and it says ” forget about the EV6 GT, we can’t deliver any before 2023″.
VW is also clearly suffering from limited EV production capacity. They’re not even taking orders for the ID4 in Canada anymore – the website says to wait for 2023.
Maybe, except for the fact that everyone else is capacity limited and can’t or won’t remotely build the same quantity.
And as you pointed out, isn’t willing to actually invest in infrastructure instead of waiting for the government to come up with a great, inexpensive, and user friendly solution like everything else the government comes up with.
I think you have a few factors. Tesla only builds EV, so that’s all they have to sell. For everyone else, they have a variety of things to sell some with better markups than EV’s. But also EV’s are more important due to regulations in other parts of the world then NA so i assume that leads to a lot of parts getting designated for European delivery.
On charge infrastructure, it’s pretty easy to see why the other OEM’s avoided it for so long. They had prior experience with gas and diesel showing them that third parties would quickly fill the space, plus the thought was lots of home based charging would fill in the rest. What they didn’t really count on was the mess of regulations for selling electricity in a number of states, as well as confusion over charging standards making everyone go nuts. The federal government is stepping up to offer standards, I just hope that allows all the states to be uniform in allowing the retail sale of electricity per KWH (a problem in 16 states currently).
If your wondering why there are not more charging stations set up like gas stations but instead rely on apps and memberships, its because they need to skirt these state level regulations. I assume once these are all consistent you will start to see many more third party charging. It also why Tesla built they way they did they avoided these regulations by being a closed system.
Also I hope the regulations don’t go to far and stifle possible innovation, really charging stations don’t have to be like gas stations and they need something to still allow destination chargers etc. Having chargers at Hotels that could be profit centers instead of added amenities I’m sure would speed their installation.
I learned about these weird regulations years ago when I managed a marina. Due to state laws we could not charge per KWH for electricity unless we were registered as a utility and regulated as one. So all we could do was charge connection fees for the size cord we offered (50 amp 30 amp) which isn;t really that fair because some boats with a a 30 amp connection basically only ran a battery maintainer while other were running air conditioning and refrigeration.
I understand those factors, the one part that never gets addressed is that Tesla, by owning the infrastructure but delivering a commodity will always and forever be able to actually provide that power at a lower price than a third party that exists solely to make money on that charging device.
For example, if power costs 20c per kW, Tesla can sell it at that and break even. Or decide to subsidize it. Or charge more. For Blink, EA, Chargepoint, etc they need to charge significantly more than their cost, period. Tesla can in theory open its network to others (as is being tested in Europe), I’d imaging that over the long term they could (would?) charge a price differential, the entire thing becomes a cheap ad as to why a Tesla might be preferable. If I could buy gasoline for a Ford for less than I could for a RAM, that would certainly make a Ford more attractive.
I agree Tesla can lock in pricing easier, but it’s also a tempting profit center. I seem to recall Musk saying they were aiming for 10% profit off charging at some point in the future.
Of course then you get into this whole world of power rates which go all over the map from state to state and company to company. You may see negotiated rates between charge companies and utilities, you also have things that exist already like here in CT where we have a weird electricity market where you can basically buy electric generation futures delivered by the utility. it may be fully possible to have Tesla breaking even at 0.26 a KWH in NY and over the border in CT have Electrify America making 20 % profit on the same charge. Honestly I’m not sure it exists yet but a website like gas buddy for EV charging would be very interesting.
Right now I think Tesla’s big advantage is size and reliability of their charging network, we’ll have to wait and see if price come into play too.
If you are in a Tesla and look at the Nav screen it shows you all the Superchargers in the country or locality if you are zoomed in. If you click on any of them a pop-up shows you how many “pumps” there are, how many are currently in use or available, and just as important, how much the power will cost you. In some areas such as the last time I was in Iowa there are two rates, depending on time of day usage. It’s also interesting when there are, as you said, different rates on different sides of a state border, last summer we chose to add power on the Nebraska side rather than wait to get into Iowa during a road trip as it was less expensive even though we would have made the Iowa charger no problem. The system them simply recalibrates based on where you end up stopping and recommends the optimum next stop to minimize travel time.
Yes, it can definitely become (and probably should become?) a profit center. It’s still easy enough to undercut a third party that a Tesla could also use assuming the correct adapter was available.
I was watching a video last night of a youtube channel that purchased a new Lightning in Michigan and was driving it back to Colorado. Their first charge at Electrify America was enlightening and a bit of a pain, it took a while to open the app and get logged in etc., they never did get their “free” Ford-provided introductory charge from what they were saying. Their second stop went better but they agreed that it was nowhere near as easy as with Tesla where the pump just recognizes the car as you bring the wand to the port, does the “handshake” automatically and simply starts to charge. You CAN control it via the app, but there is no need to, it just works and it then bills the account you linked to Tesla when you purchased the car (which can be updated at any time of course.). It’s sort of like using an Apple phone with an Apple laptop with ApplePhoto vs a Samsung phone with a Dell laptop with PhotopixelUSA software…Both do work (usually), one is far more seamless and more idiot-proof..
I’m not saying this to shill for Tesla, just since I’ve used both multiple times pointing out that it’s still FAR easier to deal with a Tesla in this regard than any of the others, from what I’ve seen Ford seems to be pretty good but still in a distant second place precisely due to the third party app issue. The other issue apparently was that there were several “pumps” at the Electrify America station that the youtubers used, each with two hoses, but in their case only one hose can be used at a time, they are just there for convenience depending on where the charge port is. Some pumps were also higher capacity than others, necessitating them walking around and trying to find a “faster” pump, which in their case were already in use by a Mach-E and a Rivian.
Cool that you can look up pricing. It will be interesting to see in the future. The new proposed rules from the DOT, state that pricing most be visible on the chargers (like a gas pump) but also that data should be available for automakers and third parties, which seems like a good idea.
I totally get what your saying with the Tesla apple idea. That’s part of why I said reliable network, in addition to the mechanics working they have the software figured out to, much less stressful that way. I think eventually the other side will get better too, there is a part of the CCS charger standard the includes using vehicles for payments so in the future it should be like plugging in a Logitech mouse into any modern windows laptop where it works 99.9% of the time.
One very interesting aspect of Tesla versus The World is how it may eventually shake-out like every other independent manufacturer in US history.
Currently, Tesla is still the go-to EV brand, primarily because that’s their only product, i.e., a niche. But isn’t that exactly what the old independents did to survive, and when they did find a successful niche, the big boys quickly moved in and were able to wipe-out the independents’ advantage in short order, thanks to their much wider dealer network and lower production costs (the late fifties’ compact class being the classic example)?
Right now, Tesla is in the fabled EV catbird seat, but, ultimately, Musk may find his company in exactly the same independent position as Studebaker, Nash, Packard, Hudson, etc.
I’m almost certainly alone in this perspective, but I sometimes envision a future Studebaker Lark when I see a Tesla Model 3 go by.
A Jimmy Rant:
I don’t know, all I do know is that actually purchasing a Tesla from Tesla direct was BY FAR the most pleasant and easy experience I’ve ever had purchasing a car without any indication from them whatsoever that they wanted to go deeper into my pockets. Can’t say that about any other dealer experience in the US, not even the “fancy” ones, and I don’t see that changing. My Subaru purchase was probably the best in that regard to date but that depends on the dealer, not the manufacturer. Even the most recent vehicle I bought during the pandemic where there was basically zero negotiation still required far more of my time and far more people involved in the process than was absolutely necessary. Buying a car that’s sitting on a lot does not need to be any more involved than buying a toaster at Target. Ordering one from Tesla is akin to ordering from Amazon and signing for the package when it arrives. Period. The dealer isn’t my friend, never has been, exists for the purpose of sucking my money out of my pocket to pay for his boat and son’s coke habit and I have no desire to hang out there. Better to give the same money to the manufacturer who might put it to good use.
There’s a lot of hate in the automotive press for Tesla. Well, at least among the written words of the semi-not-quite-professionals that run a lot of clickbait websites and see a safe target that doesn’t provide loaners or any ad dollars so nothing to lose and aren’t successful enough to afford one anyway. Sites or journalists that DO purchase one with their own money seem to have a very different take on things. Most of the published hate is not borne out by actual experience and I’m more than willing to bet that some or much of it is/was literally funded by the opposition (i.e. traditional automakers). I’m looking forward to the newly expanded Tesla legal department going after some of these claims as they have been doing overseas. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but now that some of the big names have legit contenders (but are constrained) there are already far fewer “another Tesla EV caught on fire” or other BS sensationalist stories out there that turns everyone off EVs. I wonder why. Now that Tesla is actually profitable and growing (even during supply shortages for everyone else due to being more nimble engineering-wise and being able to build solutions) it must be hugely satisfying for Elon. The man’s schtick annoys me but good for him, my wife loves her car.
The cars are not perfect in all respects, but they are nowhere near as bad as often portrayed, not even close. And they simply perform on a different paradigm as compared to the old guard (ICE). The establishment is trying to get up to speed and definitely still playing catch up. They might catch up, they might not, it may end up as Tesla like Apple vs everyone else, which is just fine. Apple is far more successful and admired and engenders far greater product loyalty than most traditional automakers do and definitely most other electronics manufacturers. (And I’m not a big Apple apologist either but see their product dominance). I really don’t see the comparison to the car market from 70 years ago.
People have been writing Tesla off since day one, myself included for many years, then I actually first drove one and then I bought one. Now I’m an EV believer with actual experience driving other ones as well to compare everything. Go talk to a few other owners, not the zealots, but just random Model 3 drivers (of all ages) in the grocery store parking lot or your own neighborhood. Tesla isn’t going anywhere and there isn’t a “Tesla-killer” built yet no matter how much it might satisfy some of those out there.
What do you mean it might shake out like every other independent in the US market? Wasn’t (or isn’t) Ford independent too? Isn’t Ford the only (besides Tesla) American automaker that has actually delivered product that has never declared bankruptcy or been bought out? Tesla now builds on three continents in four factories, has waiting lists not due to product shortages and poor planning by supposedly smart leaders but due to simple demand, and has successfully launched more different models than any other EV manufacturer (five to date) and when they are finally ready has three more in the wings that we are aware of. At this point they are also capacity constrained but seem perfectly happy to fund building new capacity with their own profits while expanding production and deliveries every year. On top of that they and the same products are worldwide, the US is a big market but lots of people make the continued mistake that the US is the single most or only important auto market. Like many other things, it simply isn’t anymore no matter what the old-timers in Detroit like to think.
The Model 3 isn’t so much the loser Studebaker Lark as it is the icon Ford Model T, the car that brought relatively affordable (EV) motoring to the masses. Thirty years from now the Henry Ford Museum may well have one in their collection of significant cars and if they don’t, they should instead of looking like a sore loser otherwise. Give credit where it’s due.
As a historian, Studebaker is a very poor analogy to Tesla. Studebaker was a very old company, once the world’s biggest wagon makers. They should have been a bigger force in the auto business, but they were too tentative and hardly trailblazers, like Tesla. Studebaker never had a coherent strategy, and poor management is what ultimately screwed them.
If you want to look for analogies, in addition to the valid Model T one, there’s Chrysler, which came almost out of nowhere in 1925-1926 and blew the market wide open purely on the strength of superior engineering, advanced features and excellent styling. Within a few years they were #3, and soon #2, surpassing Ford, which was by then stuck in a rut by failing to keep innovating.
The other analogy I’ve made is BMW, which took the American market by storm with their Neue Klasse cars, and came to dominate the sporty sedan sector. Mercedes is another one, how they bumped off the American luxury brands.
The Studebaker Lark was the pathetic last death heaves of a moribund carmaker. That doesn’t correlate to Tesla in the slightest.
Just saw one whoosh past me on Friday. Although I’m not completely sold on the faceted sides, they are on their way to becoming an ioniq (er… iconic) design convention that bespeaks “Hyundai” as well as heptagonal kidneys say, “BMW”. It’s a clean and understated car, and quite handsome… right down to its wheels. Very sophisticated.
I hope they see a market for a small 5 (or 3) door hatch when the market swings back from crossovers. I’d be all over it.
From the rear 3/4 especially, I am seeing BL Princess lines.
These seem to be popular here in Virginia as well. Each time I see one, I think about how this is one of the very few new car designs that I actually like. Maybe it’s the strong 1980s concept-car vibe, or maybe it’s the pleasing colors they’re offered in, or maybe just the sophisticated, but not over-the-top design, but I find the design itself to be appealing.
Excellent point about the strong resemblance to early and mid 80s concept cars. Including the blend of soft curves and angular lines, flush-faced wheels, and two tone colour scheme. Reminds me of some of the work of Ford and Ital Design in the early and mid 80s.
Nice to see strong design come to market. Many concepts of the past would have succeeded in their original form. Better designs than their ultimate production versions. Decades earlier inspiration appears to have gone into this design.
It would be a breakthrough if manufacturers could convincingly make plastic surfaces appear like metal. It would help improve this design.
The hood would look better with more slope. Like the Super Beetle, the extra space is valuable.
I’ve often thought that I should go through my 1980s Road & Track collection and find a concept car that looks like this. The angular shape, the big, flat wheel covers, even the light-blue and gray color combination… they all look like coming attractions from the 1988 auto show circuit. But somehow, the end result still seems like a modern design to me.
I agree about the plastic surfaces – that’s one let-down for me with the Ioniq here. But on balance, it’s good – no Angry Look, no clowishly aggressive front end, no oversized design embellishments… if the trade-off is a bit to much plastic, I’ll still consider it a Win.
Excellent observations. That retro element, helps make them very palatable. It reminds me most of the work of Ford and Ital Design together, and independently. Not one design in particular, but their portfolios in general between about 1978 and 1988. Very similar design language and detailing in some cases. The colour scheme and flat faced wheels remind me of the approach with the early Aerostar concepts. Elements from a range cars from the Probe concepts (early 80s) to the Ford Maya from 1984 (below). Far better looking than the original Fiero IMO. The Maya makes the concurrent ’84 EXP, look like a duck. lol
I think it also points to how great some of those 80s concept designs were, that a modern interpretation can be so well accepted.
Hyundai is really on to a nice design trend, I hope succeeds.
For the 60-70% of Americans who live in the sort of homes where charging can be made available, EV are going to be great. The have-nots will have to wait for a better public charging system. Make whatever social and political conclusions you want from that.
It’s gorgeous, I get strong Lancia Delta vibes from it (even though it’s larger, it seems bigger than the Crosstrek too, to me more like the Model Y). Haven’t been in one though, so maybe it is smaller, there are a few around here now as well.
Excel would have been a good name for it, except… 🙂
Delta was my immediate thought upon seeing a pic a couple of years ago, thrown off as soon as I saw one. Modern wheel and tire sizes help this illusion, but this is an 8/7ths copy of that shape.
I still like it, though. As a current EV owner and previous Hyundai owner, I’d love to have one.
Some of y’all crack me up. Try living in the South where very few electric cars will be available for probably years. I can buy a Tesla, I can buy a Lyrique, but no other full-on electric cars are available for sale here anytime soon. If I ever see one of these in the wild, I’d be grateful they finally made it to these parts and nod critique the design.
They don’t sell the Mach-E, Lightning, Hummer, Bolt, or Leaf in the South? Genuinely curious.
2020 Bolt EV owner, rural Tennessee resident. Leafs are built here. I see Teslas with some regularity. We have a supercharger here. The EV picture isn’t perfect in this area yet, but it’s not as bleak as would’ve been portrayed 5 years ago. We have chargers at Sam’s Club, the local university, a winery, several hotels, and a medical office. Some people are stuck on the idea that what we’ve got is what we’ll have, which is the silliest of mistakes to make.
Well, like everywhere, there’s a ‘list’ of a couple years for a Mach-E. The new Mazda electric is not available in any southern states, nor are Hyundais.
A Rav4 Plug-in is a guaranteed two year wait. I’m trying to circumvent by buying from a dealer in California and shipping back, but that’s tough because most dealers refuse to sell out of state. Why lose the income generated from servicing the vehicles they sell being their logic, which is sound.
I have a Prius and can buy a Prius Prime here but the others you mentioned are an investment in the future. Even the Bolt has a caveat online, not available in all states.
I know a lot of the problem is pent-up demand and the inability to meet that with supply, but southern states do not feel electric cars are part of our future. I realize I can simply move back to a city and state not so afraid of growth, but with familial demands it’s not possible just yet.
I don’t know about Leaf as I never wanted one, I think they’re a bit small.
Yes, we do have chargers. Even in Arkansas. But that doesn’t mean one can buy an electric car. I’m on so many lists, from Toyota to Audi. The biggest problem is these states don’t have much demand for electric cars so they aren’t allotted many, and the waiting continues.
I have not seen a full-on electric car yet. Even if the Leaf is made in Tennessee, which is the next state over, they aren’t hitting the roads that we’ve seen here. If I want to buy a lightning or hummer, which I don’t, my option is BaT.
Ah, thanks for the reply. Just FYI there aren’t rows and rows of the EVs (or Rav4P) sitting on every dealer lot here or most places either currently, most are ordered and eventually, sooner or later, get delivered. If one is on a lot it’s most likely been pre-ordered and is just awaiting being picked up, which goes for (especially) Tesla as well as that’s their actual model.
Bummer that the makers don’t sell everything in every state, I guess with limited production capacity they may as well pick and choose the best sales markets. If waits are two years, that bodes well though for future allocation as there is clearly some demand.
The comically large wheels look a bit goofy, but otherwise this is a solid EV. The space-efficiency inside is great because of the flat battery pack under the seats. For folks considering a new car and have a driveway or a garage, an EV is a no-brainer. So much cheaper to operate with the convenience of home charging. It doesn’t matter if you drive 40 miles in a day or 150 miles in a day, just plug it in when you get home.
I haven’t seen one “in-the-wild” yet, but I did see it’s cousin the Kia EV6 in traffic a couple of weeks ago. I’m glad to see the Hyundai-group committing to large numbers of EVs built. “If you build it, they will come.”
It’s actually bigger than I thought, the pre release photos I kind of expected Golf sized but being basically somewhere crossover sized was surprising when I saw one in person. There’s one at the end of my neighborhood I pass every day
I like the styling, but the color pallet is really dreary even by today’s standards, even the actual “colors” like this blue are very steely. And I’ll continue saying it, the contrasting separated round wheel arches look bad on every single vehicle that uses them, that seems to be the latest design crutch used to deemphasize mass.
Normally I’m a much bigger fan of Kia design language over Hyundai. But on these I prefer the Hyundai for the futuristic look. I also love the open console area over the console in the front on the Kia.
I think I recall reading that Kia and Hyundai swapped some people in their respective styling shops a short while ago. I am like you and have tended to prefer Kia’s styling, but now I am liking the new Hyundais.
I’ve seen several on the road in the last couple of days. I like them, they are modern, retro, quirky, and cool looking. Lots of buyers of electrics and hybrids want their cars to stand out. Hyundai is certainly a builder of “expressive” vehicles. I saw one of the four door “el Camino” style trucks and I liked that also.I don’t think that many of their designs will stand the test of time but they are great for the current market.
I saw my first one ‘in the wild’ a few weeks ago – I think availability is more limited in Canada.
My first impression of these cars was that they looked great, but then I started to wonder if they were a little too large for the the Golf-like styling they seemed to be channeling.
But having seen it, it also doesn’t look as large to me as I thought it might be. And it looks pretty good, if slightly anonymous/robotic.
Still waiting to see an EV6 – overall I’ve liked the exterior styling a little better. Perhaps it depends whether you’d prefer a car to communicate more muscularity or technology? Inside, the Ioniq5 is a knockout.
While the Model 3 looks like the evolution of 1990s Mazda or Chrysler design, this is a genuinely more fresh approach. Combining sharp edges and curves is more unique and creative here. Even if inspired by the past.
I’ve seen two in Ottawa thus far. My only complaint design-wise, is some of the exterior pieces look quite ‘plasticky’.
It’s certainly an impressive design achievement. I agree that it does look a little plasticky in places, but maybe that’s easier to overlook given the great execution overall.
There’s just not much sensuality to it in my eyes, or maybe it’s lacking in personality. Once the novelty has worn off, will it look like a refrigerator parked in the driveway? 🙂 I guess I’m still on the fence.
It’s a practical and serious design, for sure. With the benefit of what appears a genuine attempt at more sophistication and unique styling, than is common. I don’t find the design controversial enough to wear out, as time passes. The EV6 GT is the sensual choice.
I like the Ioniq 5. It reminds me of a modern Toyota Cressida wagon. This is what the first generation Toyota Venza should have looked like. But I wish they put the Palisade V6 in a few of them. Maybe add the Veloster N’s manual transmission or 8 speed DCT and keep the electric motors in the rear for AWD ala the Acura NSX.
Hyundai, I hope you’re listening.
Credit to Hyundai and Kia for taking a measured, and well thought-out approach, towards their take on advanced design. You don’t have to appear radical and/or comically outrageous, to appear leading edge. Like Toyota/Lexus. Lots of very familiar elements here, tastefully combined in a package that will offend few. Clever work.
We could have had designs like this since the 1970s, if manufacturers were more courageous, and willing to take risks to lead the market.
The exterior design exudes loads of character, not sterile or anonymous, as some fear in future design. Lots of detailing. Bravo to Hyundai.
I am seeing the IONIQ5 all over Vancouver. It is such a cool looking design! The price and range are also very good. In fact, a friend in Seoul just bought one. Were I to buy a new car today, this would be it.
In 1995 I taught a group of Hyundai automotive engineers at the Korean Advanced Institute for Science and Technology, or KAIST. At the time they lamented the state of Korean engineering.
I told them that given what I knew of the character of Korean people, Korean engineering would be world class in twenty years or so.
I was right!
How many car designs effectively combine sophisticated sharp lines with soft, organic curves? Precious few. So many CUV designs look tortured because they try to accomplish so much, in a small surface area. Honda comes to mind. Hope this starts a trend.
In terms of specific design details, the tail light bar harkens back to the very popular use of the ‘bar graph’ pattern in early 80s graphic design. And the wide introduction of ‘pixels’ in digital design. The variable thickness lines in the rear bumper lighting is another ‘optical’ look very popular in early 80s design. Plenty of familiar design ‘throwback’ here.
My office is walking distance from both a Kia and a Hyundai dealer, and I drive past both of them twice a day. I too have been seeing more of these hitting the streets, and I am a fan. In the current environment, I cannot imagine that there is any discounting going on, so what we are seeing out and about are people willing to pay dearly for them. If that is the case, imagine how they would sell with more production capacity and some discounting.
The fractal wheel design looked familiar. Similar design as the Green Party of Canada logo.
Spot on!
Sponsored by BP
lol!
I don’t like the halfassed-because-they-can-be lights on the North American-spec Ioniq5, but otherwise I’m seriously intrigued. That’s all I’ll be about it for the foreseeable, because I don’t buy lottery tickets, but:
I don’t know…you could get an awful lot of Dijon ketchup for that kind of cabbage.
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a nice Reliant automobile!
I remember a concert in Vanier Park sometime in the 1990’s. It was raining (so it could have been Canada Day) but on stage were the Bare Naked Ladies, The Odds, and Ashley MacIsaac. We all had a million dollars, and our brains were truly eaten.
I remember watching them live on News at Noon on Global TV, in their Toronto studios, way back before anyone knew them beyond the local music scene. And you could tell they were very talented then. Ed Robertson really stood out. Whether there was a large market for their unique indie sound, was yet to be determined. Thankfully, their music was perfect for the 90s.
They always put on a terrific show. I saw them in Denver.
I’ve driven one of these for work, and it really impressed me. The design is full of cool details, even inside – the centre console, for example, can slide so you can enter the driver’s seat from either side. The glove compartment is a sliding drawer.
The screens are typical Hyundai but with a new skin, so it’s not quite a Tesla experience inside. But there’s an actual instrument cluster unlike a Model 3/Y.
I’ve only driven the single-motor RWD but it’s very smooth and quiet and handling is decent. Haven’t gotten into an EV6 yet but my colleagues say that has the edge in terms of handling and high-speed body control (it got a local suspension tune, the Hyundai didn’t). But as cool as the EV6 is, the Ioniq 5’s design speaks to me more. Alas we can’t get many of either in Aus, we’re a low priority market due to our current lack of a federal EV strategy or emissions standards.
Plenty of grilless EV Hyundais roaming about here not sure what they are all called and Kia seems to have a range of EVs to match, NZ electric truck is opposite our container yard but Im not sure where they display the lineup but I do keep seeing not hearing electric trucks on the streets ideal for short range city deliveries.
I used to think that, as a renter in a private home with no dedicated electrical service, I might never be a candidate for an EV, but I’m beginning to change my mind. All it takes is a bit of preparation to plan some websurfing time or a nice short nap at a charging station. I assumed I would have to go ICE when buying new/off lease in a couple of years for what may be the car I drive off into the sunset in, but maybe not. It will all come down to pricing. I may become a “mostly living on social security” senior. The Chinese foothold with super cheap vehicles is established, but politically fraught, so if anyone else can come out with an EV as inexpensive as a Kia Rio-esque small ICE hatchback, It would be very attractive.
CC effect: last night’s guests (we own a boutique lodge) arrived in an Ioniq5. First one I’ve seen up close, and although I was unconvinced by them in pictures, in the metal they look fabulous! Details like the taillights that looked naff in photos turned out to be fascinating. I’ve always felt that a car’s design could be measured by seeing one painted white – less successfully styled cars look bad in white, but the Ioniq5 is spectacular! So, so many beautifully designed details – my favourite being the way the rear door cutline is perfectly aligned with the wheel-arch eyelashes. Here’s the view from my office window:
People are so adamant that this ISN’T a “Tesla killer.” Eh, I’d argue that it is. But so is Elon. In my profession, an image of humble success is appropriate for the cars we drive. A big Mercedes is too much, a Subaru totally says, “relatable,” and a Volvo is about right. A Tesla was definitely de rigueur, for a long time. It said, “eco, successful, design oriented, innovative.” But then Elon stepped in it, stepped in it again, and AGAIN.
I seriously had “place order” as my next key press, for a Model Y, yet each time I got close, Elon said something else so gross, that he just made me 100% not want him reflecting on my “brand,” so I didn’t. The Ioniq 5 fixes that. Wicked fast charging, incredibly cool design, presumed reliability, huge dealer network and again, INCREDIBLY cool design. The supercharger network matters way less with 18 minute re-charges, plus the INCREDIBLY cool design. If only it had a rear wiper (none on Model Y, either), I’d be giving my money and …. receiving in 2023, an Ioniq 5. Now it’s looking like a dumpy looking Audi Q4 e-tron is the best fit for me. Definitely, no Teslas.
…and, plus, if you get an Audi or a Kia or a Hyundai or a Ford or a Polestar or any of those instead of a Tesla, you can say whatever you want on Twitter without any risk that the petulant –
scion– son of an Apartheid South Africa mining magnate will degrade your car (or brick it outright).I’m not one to usually defend EM, but this thing about him being a scion of a mining magnate is not factually correct. Well, his father apparently did make a deal to buy a mine, but that happened years after he and Elon’s mom divorced, only nine years after they married. There’s zero evidence to contradict Elon’s story that he came to Canada essentially penniless, and took out student loans for university.
Say what you want about him, but he really did make his money without help from family wealth.
https://www.insidehook.com/article/history/errol-musk-elon-father-myths
Alright, I’ve edited my comment. Elon himself is reported to have called his father a terrible human being, and apples have a habit of falling right close to the tree, and I guess that’s enough for me to say about that.