Hyundai has commenced production of a fully electric compact SUV prototype, Business Korea reports. This will be built on the firm’s Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) architecture specifically for electric vehicles, and Hyundai aims to have the prototype completed by December.
The Kona Electric is based on an existing internal combustion powertrain platform, while the Nexo hydrogen fuel cell is based on bespoke architecture.
Sources have told the business website that Hyundai is sourcing parts for its EV under the project name ‘NE’, and is also close to selecting its main supplier of EV batteries. Hyundai will reveal a pilot car next June, and the eventual version of the electric compact SUV is expected to enter production in 2021, Business Korea notes.
Performance details for the forthcoming model are scant, though elektroauto-news.net suggests that the E-SUV will have a range of around 450 km; for reference, the long-range 64 kWh version of the Kona Electric offers a range of up to 470 km.
Elsewhere, Volkswagen has its own MEB electric platform which will spawn production models prefaced by the likes of the I.D. Crozz, I.D. Buzz and I.D. Vizzion, while Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler will be spending €10 billion on EV development, with up to 10 models from the same platform.
Meanwhile, BMW already has the i3 which comes as both a pure electric and one with a range-extender, with the fully electric i4 set to enter the market in 2021.
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Go for X50. This Kona looks really boring and fugly
Later, when Hyundai got lots of recalls, people will start to have lots of injuries. This will absolutely regret if people will buy Hyundai