In this digital age, drivers are looking for smarter, technologically advanced vehicles and if they’re electric that’s all the better. But at what cost?
Interestingly, the price of EV brands is dropping thanks to new battery dynamics.
According to Wells Fargo, a US multinational financial services company with more than 70 million customers, the biggest change has been the cost of battery components, which has dropped by $US3000 per vehicle.
A slide in the price of lithium, a key component of the lithium-ion batteries used in EVs. has been the most significant factor. Internal combustion engines and gearboxes haven’t changed and still cost the same.
Car makers believe battery costs will fall even further – by as much as 40-50% by the middle of this decade. So, prices are falling as more EVs become available, including the Cupra-Born ($60,000), cheaper Chinese models such as the $44,000 GWM Ora, the BYD Dolphin, expected to cost less than $40,000 and the MG4.
So now to Hyundai’s 2023 Ioniq 6 Dynamiq. Sounds high-tech … and it is.
The three-model range opens with a single-motor, rear-drive job. Pay a little more and you choose between a pair of more powerful dual-motor, all-wheel-drive variants.
Prices for the Dynamiq start at $74,000 (before on-roads). The rear-mounted electric motor develops 168kW/350Nm, good for a claimed 0-100km/h time of 7.4 seconds. As this is a single motor version riding on smaller wheels and tyres, it’s the lightest and most aerodynamic of all the Ioniq 6 variants with a driving range of 614 km.
The Korean automaker claims a 10 to 80% recharge time of “as little as” 18 minutes, on a 350kW ultra-fast DC charger.
The car measures 4855 mm long, 1880 mm wide and 1495 mm tall, with a 295 0mm wheelbase – similar in length and width to Hyundai’s petrol-powered Sonata, but with 50 mm lower to the road, and 110 mm longer between the wheels.
Standard features in the entry-level Ioniq 6 Dynamiq include 18-in. alloy wheels, dual 12.3-in. screens, heated power-adjustable front seats, adaptive LED headlights, Bose premium stereo, leather-appointed seats, a head-up display, and a full suite of advanced safety technology, including seven airbags.
The kit continues with wireless phone charging, tyre-pressure monitoring, adaptive cruise control, four drive modes, trailer pre-wiring package, powered tailgate, dual-zone climate control, vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality, over-the-air updates, remote start and smart phone mirroring.
The full suite of Hyundai SmartSense features include ‘premium relaxation’ ventilated heated rear seats heated steering wheel, full-width glass sunroof and a 14.5-litre front boot (due to front motor).
Mirroring the related Ioniq 5 (tested here a few weeks ago), the new Ioniq 6 is expected to be sold online at fixed prices, with customers able to order the vehicle through limited allocations of cars released on Hyundai’s web page.
