Hyundai has demonstrated its ability to create all-electric performance cars with the Ioniq 5 N, and it may soon aim to showcase its capability in producing an affordable one. The company’s technical advisor, Albert Biermann, believes that developing a compact performance EV is a crucial focus for the N brand.
Formerly Hyundai’s head of R&D and once the head of BMW‘s M division, Biermann has been responsible for many contributions to the enthusiast community. He acknowledges that the bar is set high for the N brand but emphasizes that producing affordable performance cars is of utmost importance.
Read: Next-Gen Hyundai Elantra N Could Get A Bigger 2.5-Liter Turbo Engine
“That small N car EV – that is something we have to do,” Biermann told AutoExpress. “Otherwise, we leave our customers in the dark. We have to come down with something smaller and more affordable.”
Enthusiasts excited by the idea of such a vehicle may have to wait a while, though. Biermann believes that even a small EV will need to offer sufficient range for a track day and be equipped with an 800-volt electrical system to meet those demands.
“If it’s an N car, you want to go on the track – even for 15 or 20 minutes. If you go 400-volt [electrics], you double the current, [you need] four times the heat dissipation. The efficiency is bad,” he explained. “If you think of an i30 [Elantra] kind of car, 400-volt is not appropriate.”
Since the Ioniq 5 and 6 are the smallest cars designed to be underpinned by the Global Modular Platform, a smaller EV with 800V charging is not currently feasible. This will necessitate waiting for the Integrated Modular Architecture (IMA), which is set to arrive in 2025.
While the challenges of creating an affordable EV are significant, and making one that can achieve high speeds presents even greater challenges, Biermann is determined to make this idea a reality.
“I keep applying the pressure. What is the solution; how much money can we spend? If we go to B-segment, how can we find acceptable track time?” he said, adding that Hyundai has come up with some ideas. However, he admits that nothing has been decided for certain yet.
