2020 Hyundai Ioniq 70-mph Highway range test

We fully charge a 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Electric and drive it at a constant 70-mph (113 km/hr) to see how far it will go on our EV highway range test.
Important test notes:
Tires set before the drive at the recommended 36 psi
Temperature: 71 F (22 C) degrees at start - 79 (26 C) degrees F at the end.
Wind: Mild, 4-6 mph crosswind.
Driving Mode: Normal
Results: 171 miles (275 km) (EPA range rating is 170 miles)
Efficiency: 4.5 mi/kWh - 13.78 kWh/100 km

[@plugandplayEV]

These tests are great, thanks Tom. Bjorn always called the old Ioniq the "efficiency king" -- glad to see it regained the crown! 👑⚡

[@mikeg7845]

Thank you! I love these tests. The EPA should scrap its current testing and simply do a 70 mph around 70 degrees temp with climate control set to 70 degrees test for EVs . This gives a comparable baseline. City range is largely irrelevant, as virtually no EV is worse in city driving than highway. But for people trying to replace an ICE vehicle with an EV, they need to know how it will do on a road trip . A good portion of the highways are 70 mph now so it is a relevant benchmark for real world driving. I would love to see a 70 mph range test of a Model 3 standard range plus to see if it can beat the Hyundai. Keep up the good work!

[@bazoo513]

Well, yes and no. I think the consumption should be expressed as "highway/city/combined", as it used to be, with the clearly defined cycles for all three. City consumption in EVs strongly depends on how well the manufacturer implemented regenerative braking, and for some potential buyers this is also very important (e.g. those doing mostly commuting and errands, but lacking charging options at home or work).

[@plugandplayEV]

Good point on highway speed driving being what most people care about. City driving and range can be important as well though, even if it's far higher than highway. For those who can't plug in at home in a city, they need to know what they can squeeze out of it before they'll have to insert charging into their schedule.

[@Russ-od2yy]

@@plugandplayEV I see people say in Canada (or Europe), "look I am at 340 kms of range" and I am thinking "ok yea thats all city driving while 95% of my daily commute is highway" Need a good combo city/highway because I can drive this thing non stop in city settings

[@SCfan84]

What evs should really have is a winter / summer rating too. This should really motivate manufacturers to put in heat pumps. I fear that no ev is really as cheap to run as a prius once you factor in the hit from the heating system around 30F

[@derekwaggoner7584]

@@SCfan84 i agree they should have a winter rating. i own a 19 prius awd and a 19 leaf + i do 5000 miles a month . the prius needs $300 for gas (around 2.50 per gal ) and a $50 oil change each month when i drive it . The Leaf needs about $150 a month in electricity to do the same 5000 miles ( charging only at home because with 225 mile range it never needs public charging ) . i expect the range will be about 140 miles at 10 to 20 degrees in the winter . The Prius also loses mpg in the winter only getting around 44 mpg while in the summer and fall its good for 57 mpg . Also keep in mind that the EV is much simpler than a hybrid and doesnt really need maintenance .

[@Noah_E]

This is the most relevant test of an EV I've seen yet.

[@mtumasz]

Great point about different range modes at a constant high speed

[@kaya051285]

More impressive is the efficiency of this vehicle at 60MPH it gets very close to 6 miles per KWh which gives it a range of close to 230 miles if you keep it at 60MPH

[@alex-sd]

Wow!!

[@balladboy6644]

Brlliant! This car is going places! Thanks for the wonderful review Tom!

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

Thanks. It really is a nice EV at a decent price. DC fast charging is a weakness, though. But if you don't often need to drive very long distances, that can be overlooked.

[@brocky]

Phenomenal test. Loved the information. I'm really leaning towards leasing it now

[@Merritt7278]

Ive been watching a lot of reviews about EV's and have to say you are one of the best, have a Ioniq coming next week so intresting to see your review. Think ive picked the right car for my first EV, yes its slow at charging but i will be charging at work so wont be an issue. Thanks for your honest review and look forward to your full review shortly. 👍

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

Thanks. It's a REALLY good EV, as long as you don't do frequent long road trips where you need/want to charge quickly. Congrats!

[@Merritt7278]

Thanks for the reply Tom, i will be doing 10 miles each way to work and around town, free juice in work so should be a great saving, still have another car for long trips.👍

[@dh-1399]

Your comments on the 2nd half of the battery going faster is really interesting. I have noticed it on my 2018 LEAF as well, although not to the degree you mention on the i3 and others. I think what's going on is that as the voltage goes down and the current is going up it results in more energy being lost as heat. I say that based on watching the battery thermal data across 280 miles and multiple charging sessions.

[@jamescurnick1637]

Brilliant....should be picking up my 2020 se ev model next week and really looking forward to it...swapping in my Toyota CHR hybrid which I have never really loved to be honest so i'm happy to part ex it for this ioniq...thought about the Kona but pushing 50yrs now the ioniq shape won me over as I like a hatchback/sallon style car....thanks for the video...very helpful in making my final decision 🤜🤛

[@alex-sd]

Awesome test! My wife is about to get one of these.

[@2idolon]

Great objective review . I am really keen on the Ionic , so , Thank you for the interesting data . Hopefully the Reliability and longevity will stand up as well . PS , Have you checked the Plug In , hybrid version for efficiency .

[@barryw9473]

Tom, thanks for the review. I beg to differ about driving mode. I find even at highway speeds in my e-Golf, the driving mode makes a significant difference. In the e-Golf, the driving mode cuts hp (about 25 hp drop to ECO and another 25 hp to ECO+) and reduces effectiveness of HVAC. Of course, turning off HVAC makes a big difference, too. If I drive at highway speeds (62 mph) in Normal mode the car uses more mi/kWh than if I drive at the same speed with same HVAC settings in Eco mode. FYI, I NEVER drive in Normal mode - I only wish I could make the e-Golf default to ECO mode. Cheers!

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

The way I do the 70-mph tests by setting the cruise control and not changing speeds really reduces the difference in driving modes. The vehicle requires a certain amount of energy to push the vehicle to speed. Where it will make more of a noticeable difference, is with the heating and A/C - so in that I do agree. :)

[@gerbre1]

Not to forget: 1.) the Tesla M3 has a bigger front surface, so the total wind resistance is larger. 2.) the Ioniq has a good heat pump, which is not used in WLTP measurements, but in real world. The M3 does not have one. This makes the advantage of the Ioniq event bigger.

[@LifeAtSea50]

Very helpful Video👍🏼 many thanks

[@hyric8927]

Hoping to see these running around in my home country.

[@MyMateYourMate]

The Ioniq is a fantastic EV, good value these days second hand too.

[@bazoo513]

To nitpick, drive mode does make a very slight difference in efficiency if the car tweaks A/C settings or is capable of changing the ride height But other than that, I agree - one can achieve the same effect by being careful with one's foot.

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

Agreed. But honestly, those features will likely make very little difference, and on a long, 3 hour drive, most people will want to properly cool the cabin, even if it sacrifices a few miles. I like to try to replicate what the average owner will experience, not do everything I can to squeeze every mile out of the car.

[@bazoo513]

@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney Yes, those are of more theoretical significance. I think you are correct to test in "normal" mode.

[@craigandlisao9736]

I’m looking at a 2020 Prius as well could you tell me what the difference is or if you have a video on the Prius to show the range. The more I learn about this Sunday the more I like it but I’m still interested in the range of the Prius plug-in

[@redjohn20001]

Hi Tom. Great clear video on 70mph range test of the Ioniq, I love this car. As I understand it though the rapid charge rate is the one thing that let's this car down. Just wondering if you plan to do a charge test some time like you did for the Kona that had a reasonable 52 minutes to 80% time?

[@seanbailey8545]

Rapid charging is fine in warmish weather. When it gets into below 0c it can 'coldgate'.

[@dadfixdit]

Hey Tom, great videos!! I’m considering an Ioniq EV right now. I drive typically 80-130 miles/day. I live in CT. Do you think I’d be cutting it too close on range, especially in the winter? Thanks for any advice

[@kyliefan7]

Wonder if the next car will be a Model Y??? Great video Tom! One wonders what they will be able to achieve with an all EV architecture, battery efficiency, plus a bigger battery in their upcoming sedan?

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

You might be onto something

[@EVAddicted]

Great car! however, I can't wait till you do the DC fast charge test on EA . I expect big disappointment there since Hyundai's 38kWh battery pack is a lower voltage than the most EVs. This results in DC fast charging that never exceeds 50kW :((( and tapers off way too soon!

[@itsfahys]

The Slower DC speed of the revamped Ioniq 2020 Model is well known, and lots of videos from the likes of Tesla Bjorn covering this, in depth , so not much point in repeating these tests.

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

So I've done the Ioniq DC fast charge test but have reached out to Electrify America and Hyundai for comment. I wouldn't have done that if some clarification wasn't needed. Stay tuned.

[@EVAddicted]

Tom Moloughney i think what Tesla Bjorn explained is because of the low pack voltage. I talked to someone in Europe were they had Kona EV with the same 38kWh battery pack and the charging speed and charging curve were identical to what we see in 38kWh Ioniq. Its really odd situation where the older Ioniq 28kWh with only air cooled battery will charge at 60-70kW all the way to ~70%

[@itsfahys]

@@EVAddicted Is the USA only getting the Revamped Ioniq Now. Weve been talking about these Issues in Europe fora good while now. Hyundia put the same 38kw Battery in the revamped Ioniq as the 38kw Kona. In Ireland a we only got the Kona 64kwh version, and they cant produce enough of them , with long wait to get one. Lot of the Talk that the reason might have been that they need to reduce the Charging speeds due to Thermal management issues trying to fit the Larger 38kw Battery into the Refreshed Ioniq, but its not likely Hyundai would ever admin that, but it might explain the slow charging. At Around 60% i recall it drops down to around 20kw on a 50dw dc charger. So over one of Tesla Bjorns 1,000km Challenges the 28.8kwh Classic Ioniq easily beat the New Ioniq , which has disappointed a lot of people as he said it must be the first EV in History that a Company made worse than the old Version in relation to charging. Sales have also been very poor for Revampted Ioniq due to the Bad Press in Europe and the Price which a lot of reviewers said wasnt justified. Ill give you an example. In Ireland you can get the New Ioniq with 38.8kw Battery for about €38,000 and the much larger Battery in the Kona 64kwh is €40,000 . Saying all of the above i recently sat in the New Ioniq and I think its stunning. If you dont need fast charging and just stop for 1 charge ona Trip then its still a great car in my opinion, just not the car a lot of people where expecting.

[@barryw9473]

@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney Tom, when you get info back, please let us know if pack voltage and/or TMS system is to blame. This car has an air cooled pack, I believe. Can the pack receive air conditioned air or only ambient air? Or am I wrong and it has liquid cooling of the pack? Also, might you know the pack cell chemistry? NMC 722 or 622? Thanks!

[@apkungen89]

Test the Model 3 SR+ 18 inch with wheel caps on. Would be interesting.

[@MassivePaper]

Are you getting a model 3 SR+ in by chance? I cannot find any really good tests other than BJORN who is amazing. I own a model 3 SR+ but I live in a really mountain prone area so my own tests are going to be all over. With that said, I did drove from Hope BC canada Leaving at 95%, arrived in West kelowna with 27% (245km trip) through the mountains at 100-110kph. This was much more power left than ABRP or the car predicted.

[@be236]

Wow, Hyundai Ioniq Electric beats Model 3 for efficiency! That's great... I'd be tempted to get this, but I really don't like sedans anymore, so this and Telsa is "out." Even Model Y is shaped like sedan still... I hope to pick up a Kia Niro EV 2019 at a discount at my local dealer soon.. they've got a handful left, along with some model year 2020s.

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

To be fair, the Model 3 I used for the highway efficiency test was my personal dual-motor, AWD version. The RWD standard range plus has slightly better efficiency numbers than the Ioniq (EPA rated), so that might be even better. Unlike every other OEM, Tesla won't provide media loaners to journalists, so I can't get one to test unless someone local would volunteer to let me use theirs for the day.

[@TheParsaver]

Very nice review. thanks.

[@davidpearn5925]

I’ve noticed recently that there are directional wheels the draw air IN on one side and deflect air AWAY on the other side and nobody seems to notice it. Tesla does a good job of hiding it by design detailing.

[@misaelramos83]

I really want one but the problem is that the 38kwh car has somehow lower pack voltage than the 28 car and so the charge is apparently much slower and requires a powerful charger to get it's max rate bc you need lots of amps due to low voltage. The other thing is the 850lb payload. 4 adults and nothing more. Maybe I'm misinterpreting that but 🤷🏾

[@einattzadok3880]

With PM engine and constant speed, the lighter the car and more aerodynamic it is, the more efficient it gets. There is no magic in the Hyundai. If Porsche Taycan had similar weight, it will be even more efficient as it uses lower RPMs. Things start to be different with variable speed, and this is what EPA is testing. The ability to recoup energy in various conditions in efficient manner and as of today, Tesla is by far the front runner.

[@benellis7427]

Great video!

[@stockey]

The Ioniq is the best deal in EVs today.

[@Pervypriest]

What is most impressive with the Ioniq, is that its not from the ground up designed as an EV, it shares the platform with an fossil engine powered counterpart . I guess the Hyundai drivetrain is so low on friction, so threre is where most of its efficiency comes from

[@SCfan84]

Great test. Perhaps it would be even better if you measured how many kWh you charged from a wall at 240v. This would give a wall to wheels efficiency number that should be a little worse than the in car indicator.

[@benellis7427]

Did you ever do the full review? I couldn't find it.

[@philippefagnant1841]

You should try the first generation ioniq,more efficient and it charge faster

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

I'd like to, but I've never even seen one on the roads here in New Jersey. Hyundai sent very few of them to this area.

[@philippefagnant1841]

@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney to bad i live in montréal hahaha

[@koreanmtnbiker2931]

However driving 60mph VS 70mph does make difference. At 60 you will definitely get 199 or 200miles.

[@readyhouse]

here in New Zealand the speed limit is 60 miles an hour if you did the test at that speed how do you think that would effect the range?

[@itsfahys]

What Driving mode did you do the Test in just for the record and was AirCon on and what was the outside Temperature on the day ? thanks

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

That's all in the video and description above, Steve: Important test notes: Tires set before the drive at the recommended 36 psi Temperature: 71 F (22 C) degrees at start - 79 (26 C) degrees F at the end. Wind: Mild, 4-6 mph crosswind. Driving mode: Normal

[@itsfahys]

@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney I hadnt noticed the description details as just jumped straight into the video. Thanks for that

[@ronit3401]

What do you think about the car in general? I qualify for the federal tax credit this year so I was thinking to get a less expensive electric car. TIA

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

I think it's a very good EV, overall. The slow DC fast charging is a problem if you plan to do frequent road trips, though. But if you don't need to frequently drive hundreds of miles, it's a great choice, and a very good value.

[@philippefagnant1841]

Im so tired of" driving modes",your right foot is your freaking driving mode!

[@Pikminiman]

+

[@ianjames3078]

Driving mode adjusts more than just throttle response

[@0ooTheMAXXoo0]

What is there to be tired of? Choice for people who want a choice? You never have to think about the modes even existing if you do not want to...

[@aduako7]

Hyundai should put the 64kWh battery in the Ioniq.

[@berndborte8214]

Faster charging rate would already be sufficient, imho. For everyday travel, the 38kWh are more than sufficient (for me). The battery is the most expensive part of the vehicle and a bigger battery just adds extra weight for the vast majory of trips. For long distance travel, a higher range gives you a minor head start and just increases the time between stops, but vehicle energy efficiency and battery charging rate are the limiting factors for the actual travel time.

[@jprates]

Hey @tommolog when do you think you'll have time to produce a video about the charging rate of this new 2020 version Ioniq?

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

Soon. I've been delaying because I had a problem and am trying to get answers from Hyundai.

[@jprates]

@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney ok thanks a lot for the feedback. From what I've seen in other reviews they really messed things up and the quick charging time is now miserable. I like the way you report things, objectively, so I'm waiting for your take on it. Cheers mate!

[@peterwright837]

From the many tests I’ve seen it seems like the Ioniq efficiency advantage over other cars increases with speed. Not sure if that’s due to aerodynamics or other factors.

[@ek9772]

Peter Wright the drag coefficient is 0.24.

[@ek9772]

Peter Wright 0.24

[@mwwhatever]

I really don't understand why they insisted on putting the charge door at the back of the car, unlike the Ioniq PHEV which puts the charge door in front of the driver's door, which is the most logical place IMO

[@robertpauljerome]

It's due to space real estate in the vehicle. The PHEV needs fuel as well as Electrons so charger is at the front due to the battery being smaller (PHEVs & Petrol Hybrids) are VERY complex and there's a lot more to go wrong than with a Pure EV for obvious reasons. Which ever one you chose, they're all brilliant!

[@ceezmad1]

I wonder if Hyundai can add 12 more kwh in future models and keep the efficiency.

[@berndborte8214]

Faster charging rate would already be sufficient, imho. For everyday travel, the 38kWh are more than sufficient (for me). The battery is the most expensive part of the vehicle and a bigger battery just adds extra weight for the vast majory of trips. For long distance travel, a higher range gives you a minor head start and just increases the time between stops, but vehicle energy efficiency and battery charging rate are the limiting factors for the actual travel time.

[@flolou8496]

Does anyone know if it uses liquid cooled battery management ? Does it have a multinlink supsension or the inferior torsion beam suspension ?

[@ek9772]

Do you think the liquid cooling contributes to the efficiency of the car?

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

Definitely, but not so much in the mild temperatures that I did this test in.

[@kaya051285]

Right now the trend is for more range and bigger Battery packs but what we need is far more affordable EVs with smaller battery packs A 30KWh ionic or Toyota Corolla would have a range of 135 miles @70MPH but if you want more range drop the speed to 60MPH and you have 180 miles range. I have only done one trip in the last two years which was more than 180 miles so one supercharger use every other year is more than acceptable Best selling car in the world is the Toyota Corolla nearly 1.5 million models per year ICE is dead when Toyota release a $25,000 corrolla EV 30KWh with 180 mile range at 60MPH

[@ek9772]

Is there a spare tire?

[@AhBeeDoi]

It needs the 64kwH pack.

[@berndborte8214]

Faster charging rate would already be sufficient, imho. For everyday travel, the 38kWh are more than sufficient (for me). The battery is the most expensive part of the vehicle and a bigger battery just adds extra weight for the vast majory of trips. For long distance travel, a higher range gives you a minor head start and just increases the time between stops, but vehicle energy efficiency and battery charging rate are the limiting factors for the actual travel time.

[@peterp4753]

Small battery like that will always be more efficient than the big battery cars. Just like 4 cylinder engine vs 8 cylinder engine. Why Hyundai don't put bigger battery in their cars?

[@soumilkadam9310]

Has anyone done a winter highway drive at 65 mph ? If yes, what efficiency did you get with the heater on ?

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

Not that I know of. Most highway range tests are conducted at 70-mph or 55-mph

[@GeorgeDavid420]

I live in NY and the heater zaps 50-20 miles of range depending on the temperature of the battery and its been between 11-37 degrees outside and ive been getting 2.5-3.9 mi/kwh with the heater on. Seems to be related to temp of the battery get great efficiency right after a charge Cant wait for spring

[@Will-dq4vh]

Model 3 SR+ next?

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

I'd love to, see my comment above

[@vaidulis2415]

Were you driving at 70mph on speedometer or 70 by gps? Because this ioniq's speed is around 5-6 miles different from real speed, so you probably were driving ay 65mph.

[@benellis7427]

I thought the 38 was pretty accurate for speed. More so than the 28.

[@bazoo513]

Yup, it would seem that Koreans have cracked the efficiency nut... Pretty spectacular. Now, Hyundai, make an EV-only car in approximately Ioniq form factor, put 60-75 kWh battery in it (for those of us who live charming infrastructure challenged lives), and include some more advanced driver's assist features, and you will leave Teska in the dust for any rational buyer. (BTW, I wonder what will come up from Hyundai's cooperation with Rimac...)

[@itsfahys]

I dont believe the Ioniq will get any further upgrades but you never know. Their Ioniq Replacement looks to be the current Concept Car " The Prophesy " and some forums suggest a version of it will be in Production sometime in 2021 If it looks anything like this its going to be a head turner . kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIC3Y2l8aJuIm80

[@bazoo513]

@@itsfahys Yes, I saw it, but if they actually do make anything similar, it will be in a class at least two steps above Ioniq, with Tesla Model S (or above it), Mercedes EQS, Porsche Taycan... Not everyone has $100k-$200k for a car...

[@thenerdyarab7622]

I would settle for nationwide availability.

[@robertm3951]

Aerodynamics is not everything. The Kona Soul EV is basically a box and is one of the most efficient EVs out there.

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

It means a lot for highway efficiency, but around town, not so much.

[@fieryfirevivin]

It looks good. But I'm worried since the video is Hyundai sponsored

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

Huh? Why would you think that? There are no sponsors for this channel.

[@fieryfirevivin]

@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney I'm sorry. But didn't you mention that the car was given to you by Hyundai?

[@fieryfirevivin]

@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney either way. I like the Hyundai ioniq. I can't really afford the Tesla. I'm considering the ioniq though

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

@@fieryfirevivin As an automotive journalist, we can request a media loan of the vehicle for a day to drive and review it. There is no expectation of a positive review and we aren't sponsored or paid. Pretty much all car manufacturers will arrange for a journalist loan for a day so they can conduct a review.

[@fieryfirevivin]

@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney thank you for clearing this up. Seems fair

[@hdidane00]

That's when the batteries are new when you put a few charges on those batteries they'll start losing their range.

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

I've been driving EVs for 10 years, that's really not a problem.

[@hdidane00]

Tom Moloughney nice to hear but we all heard stories of batteries gone bad after a few years and costly repairs to replace them rendering the fuel savings null

[@Pervypriest]

If you charge the battery right, it should outlast the car

[@robertpauljerome]

@@hdidane00 It's usually first Gen EVs that had those issues. Not many EVs produced today have any issues close to what you describe, and the reason for that is because the batteries have software buffers on them, its also due to battery conditioning (cooling & heating) as needed.

[@seanbailey8545]

Approximately a 0.5-1.0% degrade of the battery per year. But depends on battery pack and how it's charged.

[@pumpkintomb3241]

Ummm u should have 3909 km of range in these...