Hyundai IONIQ 5 - Charge Speed + Efficiency on First EV Road Trip: Spring 2022 Part 1

[@ShaneConder]

Nice trip! It really seems like the charging overhead, at least for trips with families, has become a non-issue. I think the video showed 5 stops -- 20 years ago, my wife and I might have done a trip like that with just one stop, but now I feel like we'd stop at least 5 times, if not more. Curious about the drive mode: I've been puttering around locally with Eco mode on in the EV6. Seems to make more difference than it did in the our Leaf. Have you played with the modes much on the Ioniq 5?

[@plugandplayEV]

I think that's right. It will be interesting to see how it feels on solo runs (or just two adults), but with kids and pets on board, we're stopping more than just for charging. Haven't fully tested the modes yet but we typically use Normal around town and can get high 3s/low 4s on a warmer day. Eco would do better but the pull away from lights and stops isn't quite enough to handle suburban Boston's cutthroat drivers! Eco mode is essential for highway driving with the AWD, as it seems to be the only mode that mostly cuts out the front motor. It definitely squeezes out a bit more range, but even then the efficiency on this trip wasn't great.

[@IamTimClark]

I am enjoying better charging in the Ioniq 5 since I took delivery on Friday. Very lucky to have your videos for information for this newbie Ioniq 5 owner. Thanks.

[@plugandplayEV]

Love helping new owners enjoy one of the best models on the market. Congrats, Tim, and thanks for the feedback. You know where to reach me if you have more Qs!

[@billcaulway9910]

Excellent review and information. Especially since I am from MA and drive the same roads.

[@plugandplayEV]

Always good to see familiar territory... thanks for the support, Bill!

[@billcaulway9910]

@@plugandplayEV Good alternative on the way west for you is the Tree house Brewery. Mass pike Route 20 from Auburn to Sturbridge. Running parallel to MA pike. I think they are free as well. Nice place for the family, fiod.trucks and good beer.

[@plugandplayEV]

Just drove past it yesterday... definitely on the list for a summer stop, cheers! 🍻

[@davidjackoway6211]

Great video! I just started planning a trip I'll be taking over Labor Day from Indianapolis to VT in my EV6. It was very helpful to watch you travel a segment of the trip I'll be taking. Will there be a Part 2 coming?

[@plugandplayEV]

Thanks, glad it was helpful. IN to VT will be a wonderful trip (and not just because it's in an EV6!) Part 2 is in the pipeline and will hopefully be up before the month is out. We have a lot of Ioniq 5 travel planned across the Midwest this summer, so if you have any specific requests or questions, don't hesitate to ask and we'll try to get the trip videos up before Labor Day weekend!

[@GeorgeKnighton]

2.5 mi/kWh is where you lost me. :-) Being able to deliver 57 kWh in about half an hour is incredible, and if that's 142 miles, that's great. The Bolt would be lucky to be able to add 100 miles in half an hour. But if you're only getting 2.5 mi/kWh on a trip, that bugs me and it makes upgrading from my old 2020 Bolt illogical. Seems like a great car, but that tiny little bit of Scottish blood in my soul is in open revolt at 2.5 mi/kWh!

[@plugandplayEV]

For sure, that was a big question mark we had comparing the two in the first few months. Part of the gap comes down to speed, as we can comfortably do 75mph in the I5 without thinking about range, but even at 3 mi/kWh the range comparison to the Bolt is very similar. Basically, the extra 11-12kWh in the Hyundai is what offsets the inferior efficiency compared to the Bolt, so they can both do 220 highway miles on a good day, 180-190 in the cold/wet. Then, of course, you're done in 20-30 minutes with the I5, where as the Bolt will be hanging out for the same amount again to get 125-150 miles back in the pack. In terms of an upgrade, there are certainly many other aspects of the I5 that give it several legs up on the Bolt... comfort, performance, and storage space just off the top of my head. But whether that's worth paying almost twice as much for...? It was for us, but I would totally understand anyone who opted for a Bolt EUV or US-made VW ID.4 instead and kept $15K in their pocket!

[@JeremyAllin]

After so many charging stops with your two Bolts, I can hear the excitement in your voice whenever you see those new charging speeds blast off!

[@plugandplayEV]

It was either excitement at the change or anxiety at how quickly we had to get everything done... not sure I've decided yet!

[@Rhaman68]

Hi. I was wondering, you show speeds of 75 mph on a 173 mile drive that took 2:57 minutes for an average of 68 mph. The 2.7 miles per kilowatt seems very low. I drive 65 mph, RWD Ioniq SE, and lowest mpkh was 3.7. The higher speed seems to require more watts per mile due to air drag drastically reducing the range. Your Ioniq appears to be the higher trim with dual motors. Does the trim and higher speeds are the factors for high energy use or were the terrain and weather additional item affecting energy used/lower range? I’ve had the Ioniq for 7 weeks, taken two trips averaging 210 miles round trip. Thanks for the video. I’m looking forward to longer trips! Safe travels and be well. Thanks

[@plugandplayEV]

Thanks Ramon, and congrats on your Ioniq 5! The section you're looking at includes the Berkshire Mountains in western Mass, which although they aren't huge do take a toll on efficiency. We often enter closer to 3 mi/kWh and leave 0.3-0.4 mi/kWh lower as we hit Albany, even though it's only really a 30-mile stretch. I've done the same journey again in summer with similar, possibly faster speeds, and the efficiency was closer to 3 miles per kWh. So if we slowed down to 65mph, I think 3.3 mi/kWh would be a realistic efficiency estimate, which is still shy of what you see in the RWD SE but understandable, given the extra weight and additional motor.

[@twospirits411]

Very good video. Like that you mention the headwinds and the impact it can have. btw any issues keeping the grey/white seats clean?

[@plugandplayEV]

Thanks! Not much muck on the light interior yet, but our Bolt is doing most of the local grunt work with kids, so that could be why. We wipe down after any significant journey and all marks have come off... so far!

[@user-oo3uj5ku9r]

Thanks Mate, what a difference from your Bolt EV videos. I pick up my RWD SE from Mirak on June 21st. Pumped!

[@plugandplayEV]

Nice, congrats! RWD should get some much better efficiency than we're seeing. I do dig all the bells and whistles, but the AWD is a thirsty beast indeed!

[@patrickwalsh467]

Thanks for the absence of a cheesy intro. So refreshing! Great video and graphic in the opening.

[@plugandplayEV]

Thanks, always good to know what's preferred in those opening moments :-)

[@wmclt5588]

Are you using Hyundai‘s navigation app to plan your route or are you using Apple car player or android auto or a third-party app. If so how accurate are there predicted ranges to what you actually experienced

[@plugandplayEV]

Android Auto with the ABRP app (A Better Route Planner). It's always a little conservative with our Bolt EV but seems to be much closer to the I5's abilities. Native Hyundai nav will add a charge location that the driver identifies, but won't figure out a route with charging stops itself.

[@ouch1011]

I road tripped my Ioniq5 nearly 1800 miles home immediately after buying it and it was a complete non-issue. I didn’t even think much about it but when I used to road-trip ICE vehicles, I’d intentionally not eat or drink much of anything (sometimes not anything at all) because I didn’t want to stop just to use the bathroom. When road tripping EVs, which I’ve used pretty much exclusively for nearly 3 years now, drink as much as I normally would at home because I’m stopping anyway. So many people moan about having to stop every couple hours to charge, and admittedly, stopping for 45minutes like you had to in older EVs did slow things down a bit, but most of the charging stops in newer EVs are 20 minutes or so. Stopping for 20 minutes every 2 hours is not an inconvenience, it actually makes road trips much easier. The efficiency of the Ioniq5 is pretty bad. I think the only time I got above 3mi/kwh on my drive was when we were coming down out of the mountains. I think I averaged 2.8mi/kwh for the entire drive going 70-75, but I saw as low as 2.1m/kwh on one stretch (actually the first stretch of our trip) because of 75mph speed limits and a 30mph constant headwind. The charging speed makes up for a lot but if it could get 3.5mi/kwh at 70mph and have those charging speeds it would be amazing. One EA charging site in AZ (I think) had several chargers that were down for upgrades and all were reduced to less than 50kw (would have been nice if that was noted in the app, but it wasn’t) but that was the only charging issue we had for the entire trip. The biggest “charging” I had (that wasn’t the charger or the car’s fault) was people in slow charging cars blocking the 350kw chargers. It happened 2 or 3 times, mostly by Mach-Es (which don’t charge that slow but can’t make use of a 350kw charger in a meaningful way).

[@plugandplayEV]

Really interesting, thanks for the story and stats. Highway efficiency matches our experience at the same speeds... coming down out of the Berkshires was the best we could manage and that topped out at 2.9 mi/kWh. We'll be experimenting to see if slightly higher temps and perhaps high 60s speeds help our efficiency on summer trips. It feels like there's going to be a new wave of charger challenges this travel season, led primarily by varying DCFC capabilities of non-Tesla EVs on the road. The 350 vs 150 argument will be one factor, while last generation EVs like the Bolt, Kona Electric, and Niro EV could start to frustrate Mach-E/ID.4/IONIQ 5/EV 6 owners if they're going to a high state of charge. With limited stalls and stations available, we're all going to need to remember that the transition is far from complete and make use of the existing infrastructure as best we can, as efficiently as possible, while allowing new EV drivers time and space to learn the same.

[@TakingBackBienias]

Spot on with the pronunciation of Cheektowaga 😉

[@plugandplayEV]

Thanks!

[@TheJCG75]

Really perplexed by the efficiency of this car. I’ve a got a Model 3 LR Dual motor and I can achieve 3.8 miles for kWh without even trying.

[@plugandplayEV]

Model Y would be the better comparison, given category and styling. But yes, the Tesla shape/motor system will still deliver better efficiency from a similar sized battery pack. Our time with the Y at highway speeds yielded between 260-330 wH per mile, so its baseline was 3 miles per kWh and closer to 3.5, in good conditions. Will see if we can do better on warmer trips with the I5.

[@TheJCG75]

@@plugandplayEV agreed. I have an Ioniq 5 showing up in 10 days. Also have an ID4 on order so on the fence a bit.

[@plugandplayEV]

@@TheJCG75 I still think the IONIQ 5 has a lot of advantages over most of its direct competitors (other than the EV6). Primarily, ride quality, cabin comfort/tranquility, and charging performance are all excellent. As the value play, ID.4 also has a lot going for it but gives up a lot to the Hyundai-Kias in overall EV credentials.

[@ouch1011]

That’s like comparing a Prius to a compact SUV. The Tesla gets better efficiency because it’s shaped like a Prius.

[@banzaibadger]

Why so many stops when that model has a battery range of 300 miles??

[@plugandplayEV]

This one is the AWD and has 256 mile EPA range. That's combined driving, so highway will be lower depending on speed and conditions. Stops were really down to traveling with four people. We stopped twice more for non-charging reasons and also met relatives for dinner, which changed our travel plans a bit.

[@Allan_A]

Very nice. Impressive charging speeds and those screens are crisp.

[@plugandplayEV]

Thanks, it seems a very comfy and capable road tripper for sure.

[@kyliefan7]

I also read an article that the 150 kw. is just as fast to 80% as the 350 kw charger because the battery is smaller.

[@plugandplayEV]

That could certainly be the case whenever the Standard Range version comes along. In optimal conditions with the 77.4 kWh pack, though, 150kW should take 5-7 minutes longer than 350kW. Doesn't mean much when you take 20 mins for a break either way though.

[@jisa39]

We never get to see the Mrs. :/

[@plugandplayEV]

The car's the star! She'll probably make an appearance in summer travel videos though, if she chooses to :-)

[@jisa39]

@@plugandplayEV Hope so! I say this because -besides the car- your family is a great part is this kind of videos.

[@peterwright837]

Do you ever start the EA chargers from the CarPlay or Android auto app in the car before plugging in? I’ve taken to doing that recently in my Bolt, and it’s quite convenient because I don’t need to mess with my phone while trying to wrestle with the heavy cable.

[@plugandplayEV]

Not on EA, but we've tried that on ChargePoint to good effect. They often need to be unlocked, so sending the signal from Android Auto has certainly been more convenient, especially when it's raining. Will have to try it with EA on our next trip, thanks. One thing a few people have recommended with EA, with a similar goal in mind, is to ignore the "plug in first" advice on the charger screen and swipe to activate first. You then have 30 seconds or so to plug in and the charger will still handshake with the EV, leaving the user free to focus on securing the connector.

[@peterwright837]

@@plugandplayEV thanks for the feedback I didn’t know that you could do that on ChargePoint. I’ll have to give it a try. I mostly use L2 chargers on ChargePoint, and I’ve used my iPhone NFC reader for years which has always been reliable, and the cable isn’t as difficult so it’s always worked well.

[@plugandplayEV]

Same here, the NFC works so quickly that the car connection via AA can feel a bit slow. In bad weather, though, it's nice to use it, wait until you see the confirmation to plug in on screen, then just hop out and connect.

[@AnalogueKid2112]

With your kid plugging in, it made me think. I’d never let my 5 year old pump gasoline, but he plugs in my EV all the time. It’s nice that electrons don’t have cancerous vapor and don’t spill on your clothes

[@plugandplayEV]

Good point, thanks. Didn't consider that but, then, we haven't pumped gas over here in a loooonng time!

[@TheFunkybert]

We shall see if electricity ⚡️ indeed is non cancerous.. it’s debatable That’s a high voltage field under your ass!

[@GregHassler]

I'm glad to know my 12 y/o daughter will likely never pump gas in her life!

[@MHdollrevievs]

We owned a 2019 Tesla Model 3 SR+ you are getting faster charging speeds than we did on the super chargers. I Would say the IONIQ 5 looks nicer inside/out way better than a Tesla. Definitely a good buy 😎

[@plugandplayEV]

Thanks. we're happy! There are certainly things that Tesla nails compared to Hyundai (or pretty much any OEM), including software updates and navigation, but there's a lot that we like in the IONIQ 5 to compensate.

[@kyliefan7]

How was your expensive lunch at Panera bread??? Lol. Probably more than charging the car. Congratulations on new vehicle!

[@plugandplayEV]

Thanks Matt. Well, the charge was $0, so your first point is definitely true! And compared to Boston's "artisanal" sandwich shops, Panera is a budget option :-)

[@kyliefan7]

@@plugandplayEV You’re probably true! We just came back from a Boston trip and one meal was $1300 for the four of us!

[@plugandplayEV]

Jeeeeeezzz... I hope you were either eating on a yacht or up a tall building with a view!

[@kyliefan7]

@@plugandplayEV We ate there today and it was $38 for the two of us!!! Thanks President Poopy Pants Biden!

[@newscoulomb3705]

Nice trip, Steve. It seems like NY's coverage is really starting to pick up.

[@plugandplayEV]

Thanks, Eric, the transformation is definitely underway. The Syracuse stop in particular, where we had one 50kW option heading west a year ago, now has at least four locations, three of which will max out any current CCS car.

[@tommckinney1489]

Thanks, Steve. Overall a good trip, but sad to see the mess at Erie. I once got down to the ChaDeMo charger myself in Asheville, NC, but it worked and I wasn't stranded. Looks like EA still has a few (hopefully isolated) issues.

[@plugandplayEV]

Yep, it's far better now than, say, early 2020 and before that, but EA is not without its problem sites. To be fair, we could have charged a bit more in Buffalo and avoided the Erie site entirely, but we'd already arranged to meet there My takeaway is to dismiss any single charger sites (it showed three out of use in the EA app) wherever possible at peak times, using them only as back ups.

[@peterwright837]

I did a 7700 mile road trip in my 2020 Chevy Bolt in September and October of 2020 with about 50 DC fast charger stops almost entirely on EA. I had the most problems in the Southeast from Virginia to Florida. I always managed to get charged, but often I had to try 2 or 3 chargers and frequently they were free.

[@tommckinney1489]

@@peterwright837 Thanks. I live in the southeast so maybe that's why my opinion of EA is a bit jaded.

[@joshmatlock1020]

How much quicker is road tripping in this vs the Bolt?

[@plugandplayEV]

Our average charge stop this time was 26 minutes, where as we'll typically see 45-50 minutes average in a Bolt. So over a trip with four charge stops, everything else being equal, we'll save something like 1.5 - 2 hours.

[@GregHassler]

Did you try calling EA customer service at Erie? I find frequently they can just remotely reboot a unit to get it functioning again.

[@plugandplayEV]

Folks in front of us had tried all three with customer service prior to the dual head unit and had no joy. The unit I was parked next to was already in a reboot loop that lasted as long as we were there. They can usually help remotely, but there are isolated cases where only a physical maintenance visit will get the site back up and running.

[@auctionwheels]

Love my bolt but it stays home while I road trip the Ioniq 5 ! I’ve but over 18,000 miles on her since I bought it December 29th. I see 180kw on 150 rated stations and 240 on the 350’s…

[@plugandplayEV]

We'll need to play with the 150kW stations a bit more to see if we can squeeze out higher power levels. 150 still feels quick in any case, so I'm just getting greedy now!

[@cauthoncrazy]

Woah, what do you do for work?

[@13thCP]

I absolutely love the ioniq 5! I’d buy one right now if I was anole. Although, I like the looks of the EV6 a bit better. Love your videos!

[@plugandplayEV]

Thanks man! If we ever swing through Montana it's yours to review! And I have a video with an EV6 owner coming up soon saying much the same as you... he wasn't as much a fan of the retro style but loves the powerful modern look of the Kia.

[@13thCP]

@@plugandplayEV they’re both epic and I love the pixel lights. It’s genius. I’d love to check it out, definitely hit me up if your through this way.

[@be236]

I like your charging stats summary displayed at the charging stops. Good info. Seems AWD so inefficient at highway speeds (75 mph resulting in 2.8 mi/kWh?). So disappointing... I am guessing your old Bolt EV had similar range at this speed?

[@plugandplayEV]

Thanks! Need to work on the design a bit to tidy it up but it gets the job done. I've seen reports of other I5 owners achieving greater than 3 mi/kWh at highway speeds, so it will be interesting to see if future trips improve. You'll see the return leg gets a bit better, but nothing to suggest this was all down to wind and temperature. The distances and stops we would cover in the Bolt on this route were quite similar. Obviously the charging speed, space and comfort are greatly improved though.

[@coniferous3132]

14:03 what does the red coil icon on the battery mean?

[@plugandplayEV]

It's to indicate the battery warmer is active. It shuts off when the pack temperature is around 70 degrees F.

[@skyemalcolm]

What app do you need for the Evolve NY chargers? Or is it compatible with EA or ChargePoint payment schemes?

[@plugandplayEV]

They use whatever network provider is operating at that site, which for the moment is primarily Electrify America, Shell Recharge (formerly Greenlots), and EV Connect. Other than the pricing and branding, the Electrify America-operated sites are exactly the same as regular EA locations in terms of user experience.

[@skyemalcolm]

@@plugandplayEV Thanks, Steve! I’ll be sure to add EV Connect before we head to NY state for any road trips this summer.

[@jasonmorse1816]

I see a lot of 75mph driving. Just curious if previously on these trips you drove the Bolt at those speeds. Meaning, are you going 75 in the ioniq just because you can, with charging times not really being an issue? And I'd be curious what the mi/kWh is between the two at the same speeds.

[@plugandplayEV]

No, there's no significant change in our approach to driving/road tripping because of the change in car. We would always set cruise to 73-75mph in the Bolt as well, subject to limits and traffic flow, then tamp it down a bit if the range started to go against us. The only difference I noticed on this trip, aside from the I5 seeming quite thirsty, was that slowing down to the 65-68mph area didn't seem to help us out in this case. However, as I noted, I'd put that down more to the wind picking up and temperature dropping than the car itself.

[@roncarguy6361]

Hi Steve. I see that you are driving at 75mph and getting about 2.6miles per KW. If you dropped your speed to 65, what do you believe the miles per kw would be?

[@plugandplayEV]

We'd probably notch up to the early 3 mi/kWh in most circumstances, although on the Albany-Syracuse section my wife drove and tried closer to 67-68mph. We still saw dropping numbers in that case due to the wind picking up. It's an interesting point, because in the Bolt the range addition vs extra time charging could make a decent difference. In the IONIQ 5, charging is so quick that it's probably still better to arrive with lower SOC but get there a bit quicker.

[@AnalogueKid2112]

13:16 what’s the “glow plug” symbol in the dash next to the percentage, heating the battery?

[@plugandplayEV]

Exactly, it's showing when the battery warmer is in action. In our below freezing charge test, you can see that it shuts off when the battery temperature hits around 70 degrees F.

[@AnalogueKid2112]

@@plugandplayEV it caught me off guard because that symbol is so closely associated with diesels that I would have never expected to see it here!