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| Hyundai Motor Group's Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). The platform will be used to produce electric vehicles for the group's brands such as Hyundai, Kia and Genesis. / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group |
By Baek Byung-yeul
Hyundai Motor Group has played an ace in a bid to catch up to major electric vehicle (EV) players such as Tesla, unveiling its Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) for EVs, Wednesday.
During a virtual press conference, the automotive group introduced the E-GMP, a dedicated battery electric vehicle (BEV) platform, designed to serve as core technology for the next-generation EVs of its brands ― Hyundai, Kia and Genesis.
The group said cars produced on the platform are capable of a maximum driving range of over 500 kilometers on a fully charged battery. What makes the platform stand out is that the batteries can be charged up to 80 percent in 18 minutes and drive up to 100 kilometers after charging for just five minutes.
"Today our front-wheel-driven Hyundai and Kia BEVs are already among the most efficient ones in their segments," Albert Biermann, president and head of the R&D Division at Hyundai Motor Group, said. "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."
Taking advantage of the E-GMP, Hyundai Motor Group has set a goal to launch 23 EV models and sell more than 1 million EVs worldwide in the next five years.
Hyundai Motor launched its EV-only brand IONIQ in August and plans to release three dedicated EV models ― the IONIQ 5, 6 and 7 ― by 2024. Kia Motors is also preparing to introduce new EV models. In September, Kia announced that it is aiming for its EVs to account for 20 percent of sales by 2025.
Given the platform can be configured to most vehicle types ― sedans, SUVs and crossover utility vehicles (CUVs) ― the automotive group will be able to flexibly develop EVs to meet customer demand worldwide.
The E-GMP also can be applied to high-performance EVs. The group said a high-performance model would be able to accelerate from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in less than 3.5 seconds and achieve a maximum speed of 260 kilometers per hour.
In terms of safety, the platform has a battery support structure made of ultra-high strength steel.
To ensure its EVs are suitable for various charging types, Hyundai said drivers of E-GMP-based cars can use the 400-volt system, which is the most common, or high-speed 800-volt charging.
Hyundai will also work on installing more high-speed EV charging stations nationwide.
"We plan to install 800-volt EV charging systems at 12 expressway rest stops and eight EV charging stations," Jung Jin-hwan, head of electrification development at Hyundai, said. "For each charging station, there will be six charging systems respectively and we plan to expand the number of chargers."
When asked whether it plans to sell the E-GMP to other manufacturers such as Volkswagen, which provides its MEB EV platforms to other companies, Hyundai said now was not the time to talk about sharing platforms.
