Hyundai reveals 500km EV platform

Hyundai and Kia’s bold expansion into battery-electric vehicles will be underpinned by a dedicated platform capable of delivering a range of more than 500km based on the WLTP test.

It will also be able to charge up to 80 per cent in as little as 18 minutes and add 100km of driving range in only five minutes.

These headline figures were dropped this morning as Hyundai Motor Group rolled out its dedicated Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) to the world via the internet.

We’ve heard the name E-GMP before. Notably, Hyundai – the car company, not the overarching auto group that has the same name – announced its IONIQ sub-brand in August would use the technology.

In September, Kia also confirmed E-GMP would underpin its drive into EVs as well.

In neither case was much detail revealed about E-GMP.

But this highly modular skateboard platform is being presented as critical to the Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) – covering the Hyundai, Kia and luxury minnow Genesis brands – with its plan to introduce 23 different battery-electric models and sell one million of them worldwide by 2025.

Of those 23 battery-electric cars, 11 will be based on E-GMP while 12 will be models such as the Hyundai Kona Electric that also have internal combustion relations.

The rollout of E-GMP models starts in 2021 with the IONIQ 5 and a Kia model dubbed CV.

Apart from the headline range (based on the WLTP test) and charging numbers, HMG has also revealed high-performance models based on E-GMP will be capable of accelerating from rest to 100km/h in 3.5 seconds and achieve a 260km/h top speed.

It also claims E-GMP delivers world-first 400V/800V multi-charging and bi-directional power conversion.

However, much is left unsaid in the official release. There are no stated battery pack capacities or chemistry specifics and no claimed output for the e-motors.

However, the E-GMP’s 800V electrical system and charging capacity up to 350kW suggests a battery pack in excess of 100kWh.

LG Chem, SK Innovation and CATL are all expected to be E-GMP battery cell suppliers. LG has been under pressure because of recent fires in the Hyundai Kona EV’s lithium-ion battery.

The base E-GMP set-up will be single motor rear-wheel drive, but dual motor on-demand all-wheel drive will also be available.

As Volkswagen has already argued for its MEB architecture, HMG says designing a dedicated platform for battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) allows it to avoid compromises forced by sharing platforms that must also accommodate internal combustion engines.

Benefits it cites includes increased development flexibility, powerful driving performance, increased driving range, strengthened safety features and more interior space for occupants and luggage.

HMG says E-GMP will allow rapid and flexible development of products which can be used across most vehicle segments, such as sedans, SUVs and CUVs.

As per EV orthodoxy, the battery pack will sit under the floor in the centre section of the structure. The batteries will be a standardised module, composed of pouch-type standard cells packed in different quantities as required for each vehicle.

HMG says the battery pack will be the most power-dense system it has ever created. This is partly thanks to its enhanced cooling performance, a result of a new separate cooling block structure which helps make the battery pack more compact.

With energy density enhanced by around 10 per cent compared to existing EV battery technology, HMG says the battery packs are lighter, mounted lower in the body and liberate more flat-floored cabin space.

A long wheelbase, short front and rear overhangs and slim cockpit module also contributes to passenger room.

The positioning of the battery pack will also deliver a lower centre of gravity and optimal weight distribution for better handling, something HMG says will be aided by a five-link rear axle, an ultra-high-strength steel chassis – which also aids safety and battery pack protection – and a claimed “world’s first” integrated drive axle.

This, HMG says, combines wheel bearings with the drive shaft to transmit power to the wheels, enhance ride comfort and handling stability.

HMG is also claiming the E-GMP’s integrated power electric system – combined motor, transmission and inverter – delivers speeds up to 70 per cent higher than existing e-motors despite being smaller. This enables comparable performance for less weight and space.

The e-motor is controlled by an inverter power module that adopts silicon carbide semiconductors. This can enhance system efficiency by up to three per cent, which means the vehicle can be driven for approximately five per cent longer on the same battery energy.

HMG says E-GMP’s standard 800V charging system can swap to 400V without additional components or adapters. This comes courtesy of a “world’s first patented technology” that operates the motor and inverter.

E-GMP’s vehicle-to-load (V2L) function can discharge energy from the battery without additional components, enabling it to operate other electric machinery (110/220V) anywhere.

The system can even be used to charge another EV and can supply up to 3.5kW of power and operate a mid-size air-conditioner unit and a 55-inch television for up to 24 hours.