Hyundai Motor Group has unveiled its new Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), a dedicated battery electric vehicle (BEV) platform which will be employed in its next-generation BEV model lineup. From 2021, the E-GMP will underpin a range of dedicated new BEVs, including Hyundai Motor Company’s Ioniq 5, Kia Motors Corporation’s first dedicated BEV to be revealed in 2021, and a series of other models.
Hyundai states that the new platform will bring several benefits to the table over and above the existing platforms. These will include increased development flexibility, powerful driving performance, increased driving range, strengthened safety features, and more interior space for occupants and luggage.
“Today our front-wheel driven Hyundai and Kia BEVs are already among the most efficient ones in their segments,” said Albert Biermann, President and Head of R&D Division for Hyundai Motor Group. “With our rear-wheel driven based E-GMP, we are extending our technological leadership into segments where customers demand excellent driving dynamics and outstanding efficiency.”
E-GMP platform will offer modularisation and standardisation, for rapid and flexible development of products that can be used across most vehicle segments, such as sedans, SUVs, and CUVs. A high-performance model based on this platform would accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in less than 3.5 seconds and achieve a maximum speed of 260 km/h.
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E-GMP is engineered to offer improved cornering performance and driving stability at high speed. This is due to optimal weight distribution between front and rear, a design that enables a low center of gravity thanks to its low-mounted battery pack, and the adoption of electric motors located in the space previously occupied by an engine.
Most existing EVs and the fast-charging infrastructure provide 50 kW~150 kW charging for EVs equipped with a 400V system; however, the development of 800V infrastructure, with up to 350 kW charging, will gradually enable even more fast-charging.
In line with this trend, Hyundai Motor Group has invested in IONITY, Europe’s leading high-power charging network, as a strategic partner and shareholder. IONITY operates 308 high-power charging (HPC) stations – using a charging capacity of up to 350 kW – along highways in European countries. The company plans to increase this number to 400 HPC stations by 2022, including 51 currently under construction.
A BEV based on E-GMP is capable of a maximum range of over 500 km with a fully-charged battery, according to the Worldwide Harmonized Light-duty vehicle Procedure (WLTP). Moreover, it can high-speed charge up to 80 percent in just 18 minutes and can add up to 100 km of driving range in just five minutes.
