2021 Hyundai Electric Review, Pricing, and Specs

Overview

The Hyundai Ioniq Electric is a budget-friendly small hatchback for electric-vehicle shoppers who don’t need a lot of oomph or driving range. Based on the regular Ioniq hybrid (reviewed separately), it has an EPA-rated 170 miles of electric-driving range. Its cabin is decked out in eco-friendly materials, and Hyundai has packed it with a ton of standard driver-assistance features such as Hyundai’s semi-autonomous driving assist. Also standard is DC fast charging capability and a touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. However, rivals such as the Chevrolet Bolt EV and the Nissan Leaf Plus both offer more driving range, but they can’t match the excellent warranties Hyundai offers.

What’s New for 2021?

Hyundai has replaced the Summit Gray exterior color, available on the 2020 model year Ioniq Electric, with a new Amazon Gray for the 2021 model year. Otherwise, there are no changes. Hyundai also says that it’ll discontinue the Ioniq Electric after the 2021 model year, largely due to the introduction of new standalone Ioniq models, such as the Ioniq 5.

Pricing and Which One to Buy

All Ioniq Electric models, which qualify for federal tax credits, come with the same powertrains and driver-assistance features, but the Limited adds Hyundai’s semi-autonomous driving assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear-collision warning. So, we’d gladly squeeze the extra five grand out of our wallets to get the Limited model, which also is fitted with a 10.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, sunroof, leather seats, and eight-speaker sound system. Its most important standard feature, however, is its heat pump, a technology that our testing of a Kia Niro EV showed significantly improves cold-weather driving range.

EV Motor, Power, and Performance

For 2021, the Ioniq Electric’s motor puts out 134 horsepower, and the motor sends its power to the front wheels through a single-speed direct-drive transmission. We haven’t gotten a chance to put a 2021 Ioniq Electric through our testing regimen, but the 2020 model we tested put up a sluggish zero-to-60 time of 8.3 seconds. The Ioniq Electric doesn’t deliver an exciting Tesla-like electric driving experience, but its low center of gravity, reduced mass, and well-weighted steering wheel make it pleasant enough in normal driving. Its braking performance, however, is dismal; it took 191 feet to stop from 70 mph, at least in part to its low-rolling-resistance tires. We also found brake fade during our performance testing, something rarely seen in today’s vehicles. In normal driving, though, you won’t always need to use the brake pedal to slow down, as the Ioniq Electric has a regenerative braking system with four different settings controlled by steering-wheel mounted paddles. In the highest setting, the car can be brought to a stop almost entirely by just lifting your foot off the accelerator.

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Hyundai

Range, Charging, and Battery Life

The 2021 Ioniq Electric is equipped with a 38.3-kWh battery pack, but that’s less than rivals such as the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Bolt EV offer. The limited battery capacity hinders the Ioniq’s EPA-estimated range; the Ioniq is rated for 170 miles, while the Bolt EV is rated for 259 miles. The 2020 Ioniq Electric does get an improved onboard charger, which is now up to 7.2 kW from 6.6 kW. The new charger allows the car to be fully recharged in 6 hours on a 240 V connection. DC fast-charging is standard on the Ioniq Electric, which allows it to be recharged from zero to 80 percent in 54 minutes on a 100-kW connection.

Fuel Economy and Real-World MPGe

During our 200-mile highway loop, a 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Electric achieved 121 MPGe and a 150-mile highway range before needing a recharge. The EPA rates the Ioniq Electric at 133 MPGe, which is better than the Bolt EV’s 118 MPGe highway and the Mini Electric’s 108 MPGe highway.

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

Parts of the Ioniq Electric’s interior are built from eco-friendly materials including sugar cane and volcanic rock composites. The use of sustainable materials doesn’t detract from the overall feel and look of the interior, which is comfortable regardless of the trim you choose. The SE gets heated front seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a 7.0-inch digital driver display. Splurging for the Limited trim brings along niceties such as a power sunroof, leather seats and power-adjustable front seats. The rear seats are comfy and will accommodate six-footers, but some other competitors offer more legroom in back. The hatchback profile of the Ioniq Electric gives it 23 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats, but we are yet to find out how many carry-on boxes will fit in the area.

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Hyundai

Infotainment and Connectivity

An 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system is standard on the Ioniq Electric’s base SE trim. Stepping up to the Limited trim gets you a larger 10.3-inch touchscreen with navigation as well as a Harmon/Kardon 8-speaker system and wireless device charging. Both infotainment systems come with satellite radio, Bluetooth connectivity, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have not yet tested the Ioniq Electric, but the IIHS did test the Ioniq hybrid and plug-in hybrid, and both were named as Top Safety Picks. The Ioniq Electric SE comes standard with a bevy of driver-assistance features, but you can only get the semi-autonomous driving feature and blind-spot detection on the Limited trim.

Key safety features include:

• Standard forward-collision warning and automated emergency braking
• Standard lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist
• Available blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

The warranty offered by Hyundai on the Ioniq Electric is one of the best in the segment. It has a lifetime battery warranty for the original owner, which should put any concerns about costly battery repairs or replacement to rest. Hyundai now also offers complimentary scheduled maintenance that’s better than anything that Toyota or any other rival offers.

• Limited warranty covers five years or 60,000 miles
• Powertrain warranty covers 10 years or 100,000 miles
• Hybrid components are covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles
• Complimentary maintenance covers three years or 36,000 miles

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Specifications

Specifications

2020 Hyundai Ioniq Electric

VEHICLE TYPE

front-motor, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback

PRICE AS TESTED

$39,590 (base price: $34,020)

MOTOR TYPE

permanent-magnet synchronous motor, 134 hp, 218 lb-ft; 38.3-kWh lithium-ion battery pack

TRANSMISSION

1-speed direct drive

CHASSIS

Suspension (F/R): struts/torsion beam
Brakes (F/R): 11.0-in vented disc/11.2-in disc
Tires: Michelin Energy Saver A/S, 205/60R-16 92H M+S

DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 106.3 in
Length: 176.0 in
Width: 71.7 in
Height: 58.1 in
Passenger volume: 94 ft3
Cargo volume: 23 ft3
Curb weight: 3433 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS

60 mph: 8.3 sec
100 mph: 26.1 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 8.1 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 3.1 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 4.9 sec
1/4 mile: 16.5 sec @ 84 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 108 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 191 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.79 g
Standing-start accel times omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.

C/D FUEL ECONOMY

Observed: 121 MPGe
75-mph highway driving: 127 MPGe
Highway range: 150 miles

EPA FUEL ECONOMY

Combined/city/highway: 133/145/121 MPGe
Range: 170 miles

More Features and Specs