Ioniq - first thoughts?

AmericanThunder

AmericanThunder

Super Moderator
History recap: this is a company car and I have other vehicles to use. The primary objective is saving money!
Having done around 100 miles in my new Hyundai Ioniq electric, I though I would share my early opinions.
It's actually very good! The Ioniq was designed to be offered in 3 flavours, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full electric. I chose electric as the 150 mile range is an inconvenience I can live with and the ability to charge either at work or home or from the growing number of charging points at shopping centers or service stations makes it quite practical.
What's it like to drive? Actually surprisingly normal. Unlike the Toyota offerings that frustrated me with their CVT gearbox and constant engagement/dis-engagement of the petrol engine this is just normal. It also doesn't shout Eco! Like the Prius/Auris offerings do.
The electric motor is quiet, smooth and apart from the hum vs a traditional engine you could (& im sure I will) forget I'm driving an electric car.
The single speed gearbox is well suited to the electric motor and the lack of a traditional shifter is easy to get used too (push button selector).
I dislike electric power steering - its vague somehow. I had a similar complaint about the Auris too.
The interior is a nice place to be and it has all the gizmo's and electronic gadgets you could ever want.
So how far does it go? I don't know yet! But I suspect it will have a real life range of 130miles, slightly worse than the claimed 150.
How long to charge? Plugged into a standard socket with the supplied cable I reckon around 12 hours.
Using a fast charger would drop that down to around 4 hours on a 7kw charger but faster chargers are available with a rapid DC charger being around 40mins. I plan to have a 7kw charger installed at home whilst the ones at work (once installed) will be quicker.
Is it a viable replacement for a petrol/diesel car? Definitely assuming you don't need the range.
Is it going to replace my V8 Hemi at weekends? Hell no!
The money? I'm saving around £40 a week on fuel. So on the odd occasion when I need to take a journey longer than the range I either take the Ioniq and plan my journey accordingly or I rent a car. The costs of rental are more than offset by the weekly fuel savings especially considering that journeys longer than its range that aren't in the Hemi are few.
Overall, quite impressed. Would I buy one with my own money? For my intended use - yes!
 
Good write up. Sounds like the car suits your needs. Interesting reading, as my next car will be hybrid or fully elecy.
 
End of my first week with an electric car and all is good.
No complaints about range, comfort, features, handling, braking or anything.
If I had to find a niggle I would complain about the flat bottom steering wheel. It may work well in a racing car where you don't turn the wheel through much rotation and the flat bottom is needed for leg room but on the street it just distracts when you need more steering lock. But it's nothing, a niggle for the sake of finding one!
Has the electric car come of age?
 
I haven't driven it yet - as a passenger though - it's not that bad I guess ;)
 
Update: over 1700 miles on the clock now.
No faults at all with the car. Just press the button and hum silently away.
The charging has become routine, and now that the chargers are installed at work even a from empty charge is less than 4 hours.
I have only pushed the range once. I dropped it down to 9% charge left and an estimated range left of 10miles. Very nerve racking and I will try to avoid that again!
Do I miss the convenience of petrol station forecourts? No. You just need to plan in advance.
As a vehicle to commute in with the additional standard domestic duties we all have, I couldn't ask for better.
Fuel costs saved so far - £180. That on course to save me over £2000 a year.
 
AmericanThunder said:
Update: over 1700 miles on the clock now.
No faults at all with the car. Just press the button and hum silently away.
The charging has become routine, and now that the chargers are installed at work even a from empty charge is less than 4 hours.
I have only pushed the range once. I dropped it down to 9% charge left and an estimated range left of 10miles. Very nerve racking and I will try to avoid that again!
Do I miss the convenience of petrol station forecourts? No. You just need to plan in advance.
As a vehicle to commute in with the additional standard domestic duties we all have, I couldn't ask for better.
Fuel costs saved so far - £180. That on course to save me over £2000 a year.
Click to expand...

That's good the fast chargers are installed. So at least you have a full charge to get home and back again.
A great saving over the year. More money for car parts :)
 
So, been ages since I updated this thread so I figured now would be a good time.
The Ioniq is on a four year lease and I’m three years in. Where did that go?
So, how is the Ioniq?
It’s now done over 50000miles. That has been a huge financial saving over the previous Kia that cost me £45 per week in diesel.
The car was kept by the dealer for one additional day during a service to deal with a recall otherwise it’s been fine. A few punctures but I expect that with my average yearly mileage.
The electric steering and flat bottom steering wheel I have got used to and the inconveniences of frequent charges on long journeys are now part of life. You learn to plan your journey and deal with the stops along the way. The charging infrastructure is improving all the time and in three years there was only two occasions when I chose to rent instead of deal with the (lack of) charging on route.

I guess testimony is two questions?
1. Would I have another as a company car?

Yes, and the new model has even better range. Although, the Tesla model 3 is also a consideration once I know the 2021 budget.

2. Would I buy one with my own money?

Maybe. If my circumstances required it then yes but the premium for an electric car vs a used diesel would likely be a game changer for me.


Do electric cars work? Yes. Without any doubt.
The infrastructure will have to grow rapidly to support mass adoption, both outlets and the electrical supply behind them, but for a daily used tool (what it is to me) it definitely works.
As a fun or hobby car? Well the 6.1L Hemi has grown to a 6.4L Hemi in the last three years... does that answer that question?
 
And today received confirmation of my new Company car for delivery in late April.

What did I go with?
Well the Tesla model 3 was an option but too expensive, so I’ve ordered another Ioniq.
It boasts longer range, slightly more gizmos as I’ve spec’d up to the next level and that’s it!
The current Ioniq has been fine and I’ve made electric motoring work. Still unsure I would hand over my own money for one though.
Mileage, with 3months until delivery of the new one, is around 62.5k down from the predicted 80k, mostly due to COVID-19.

So, almost 4 years of electric motoring (I won’t say driving!) is over. A Fairly faultless, (including the accident where I was rear ended whilst stationary so also not mine or the cars fault!) 4 years needing nothing more than servicing, tyres and puncture repairs. Oh and one occurrence of running out of electricity and that was my fault!
Can’t ask for more out of a car intended for the daily commute and humdrum shopping! For everything else there is the Challenger!
 
Dont know what gen model yours will be ?
1611937319307.png

you doing the millage i used to do in my vito van , there getting more and more telsa around the these parts i noticed the other day 2 charging points have been put in welshpool for those people that run of of juice wonder who that migh be lol,,,, if you happy thats the main thing as you have to use it every day
 
Interesting reading which I think speaks volumes for electric cars, particularly from someone I'd considered as possibly an EV sceptic? Based on your accounts Dave, I would definitely have an electric car as a daily. But would also want to hang on to a Yank (or some sort of hobby car) for that fix which our fraternity need.
I guess what this is doing is compartmentalising ones driving. But that works for me. I just need my daily to get me to work and back, or to the shops etc, and in the warm and dry. And if I can do that for less cost and being cleaner too (bearing in mind that I drive an older diesel 😳), then I'm in. To add another perspective, I cycle regularly and can honestly say that you can almost taste the fumes from some passing vehicles, so from that point of view, more EV's on the road must surely be a good thing. I do get the theory that EV's are simply moving your carbon footprint elsewhere, but the resultant waste and pollution from charging EV's can be centralised and more controlled than being spewed out directly into cities and populated areas.
 
Just to add a point which is slightly contrary to my previous post (and which I had actually forgotten about due to this f***ing pandemic! lol), I have a caravan. This may make an EV less workable for me. Or would it? I've not yet done any research, but perhaps there may be electric vehicles capable of towing??
 
Will said:
I. I do get the theory that EV's are simply moving your carbon footprint elsewhere,
Click to expand...

It’s no theory. It’s fact that most EV’s have a production carbon footprint that will not be recovered in the lifetime of the vehicle.
If you want to be green, keep your Diesel for as long as possible and use used parts for its continued upkeep. It’s carbon footprint (lol) can, and likely has, already been wiped out.
The EV was financial choice right from the start for me and because of my beliefs green played zero part in its choice.
 
AmericanThunder said:
It’s no theory. It’s fact that most EV’s have a production carbon footprint that will not be recovered in the lifetime of the vehicle.
If you want to be green, keep your Diesel for as long as possible and use used parts for its continued upkeep. It’s carbon footprint (lol) can, and likely has, already been wiped out.
The EV was financial choice right from the start for me and because of my beliefs green played zero part in its choice.
Click to expand...
Sorry, "theory" was the wrong choice of word, I should have said "point". I do agree that EV's definitely have a carbon footprint as you've described. I was thinking more about direct emissions (hence my comment about cycling) and believe we would ultimately have cleaner air by comparison if the road was full of EV's.
You're right, in terms of it's carbon footprint, the best action would be to just keep my Diesel CRV. Although, partly from an air quality point of view, I would be willing to change to an EV.
 
My Kia will be 6 years old this year. I'm happy with the car, and tempted to go EV on the next car. Kia done seem to so a small EV. Maybe the Ioniq would be the way to go.
Does the garage you buy them from still throw in the power connection to the car? I guess it would need to be a beefy bit of cable for fast charging. If its just a 13A plug giving 3000W, then I guess a 21kwh battery would take around 7 hours to charge?.
 
Just checked out Ionic on their website. 39KWh battery is fitted, which has a 193mile range.
 
The internal combustion Vs electric vehicle argument is very complex and it seems comes down to where the energy comes from to build, charge and dispose of electric vehicles, as well as what type of batteries they use.
This piece is interesting, thought provoking and makes Dave's point very well...

youmatter.world

Are electric cars really eco-friendly? Maybe not as such much as you think.

Are electric cars (EC) really eco-friendly? They seem to be a great solution to fight climate change and they are even said to have zero emissions. But are they worth it? Is it true that they are harmless to the planet?
youmatter.world youmatter.world
 
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