We fully loaded a 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Electric and pulled it out on the New Jersey Turnpike to see how far it will go at a constant speed of 70 mph (113 km / hr) in the latest chapter of EV Highway Reach Tests within EV.
When the Ioniq Electric was launched in 2017, it was the most efficient EV at the time. However, it wasn’t long before the Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus outperformed the Ioniq to become the king of efficiency. Now the Ioniq is back with a bigger battery and 46 more miles of EPA-rated range.
However, due to that larger battery (38.3 kWh compared to 28 kWh in the previous version), the Ioniq 2020 is slightly less efficient. But according to our road range test, you would hardly notice it.
The 2020 Ioniq has an EPA-rated 170-mile range, although we saw estimated ranges from 180 to over 200 miles when the vehicle was fully charged. However, that was after driving it smoothly through the city, not at highway speeds, so we weren’t sure how well the vehicle would operate at a constant speed of 70 mph.
So far, the Tesla Model 3 has been the most efficient vehicle we’ve tested in our roadside range tests, averaging 4.25 mi / kWh (14.59 kWh / 100 km). The Ioniq crushed that and delivered an average of 4.5 mi / kWh (13.78 kWh / 100 km) during the test.
The Ioniq displays an estimated driving range of 201 miles after charging. That’s 31 miles more than the EPA’s rank rating. Probably possible, but only with low speed, easy handling.
We ended up driving 167.2 miles and had 2% battery remaining. We’re sure we could have gone another 3.8 miles with the remaining 2% (and we probably drove at least a mile after the charge status hit zero, so we’re calling the final range at 171 miles – exactly one more mile. than the EPA rated Ioniq Electric Range.
We’ve never had an EV in our roadside range tests that are capable of matching, or in this case, exceeding its EPA range range while driving at 70 mph, until now. Like Tesla, Hyundai has been known for its highly efficient electric cars. Our recent 70 mph road range test for the Kona Electric saw us go 247 miles or reach (Kona Electric has an EPA rating of 258 miles) with an average efficiency rating of 3.9 mi / kWh.
The final numbers in the Hyundai Ioniq Range test. * We still had 2% COS when we stopped.
The Kona Electric 3.9 mi / kWh was second only to the Tesla Model 3 in our road reach tests at the time. Hyundai and Tesla now rank top three for efficiency in our roadside reach tests. We’d like to get a Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus to test as it’s the most efficient version of the Model 3, and indeed the most efficient EV available today, according to the EPA. However, unlike any other automaker, Tesla does not provide road test media loans. Model 3 we tested earlier was my personal vehicle.
The 70 mph InsideEV range of highways tests average efficiency, from best to worst:
InsideEV 70km / h range test results to date. On vehicles for which we did two of the same tests, we averaged the results of the two tests.
Some notes on this range test:
The tires were adjusted prior to transmission to meet the manufacturer’s recommended 36 psi. It was 71 ° F (22 ° C) degrees at the beginning and 79 ° F (26 ° C) at the end of the test. There was a light 4-6 mph crosswind for most of the trip. We drove in a loop on the New Jersey Turnpike to try to compensate for any elevation change and possible headwind or tailwind. The air conditioner was on for most of the drive and was set to 71 ° in the low fan setting.
About our road reach tests:
We always like to mention that these range tests are not perfect. There are variables beyond our control such as wind, traffic, topography, and weather. However, we do our best to control what we can. We do these 70 mph range tests to provide another data point for potential customers looking for as much information on the driving range as they can get. As always, let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
