Just a day after unveiling the long-awaited Ioniq 5, Hyundai announced that they will recall and replace the battery packs of approximately 82,000 Kona EVs. The timing of this recall isn’t ideal for the South Korean car manufacturer, particularly as it looks to establish itself as a leader in the EV race.
Investigations from Hyundai have confirmed that all of the 15 reported incidents of Kona EVs catching fire involved vehicles equipped with LG Chem battery packs. It’s good news then that the new Ioniq 5 doesn’t use LG Chem batteries but will, according to reports, be fitted with SK Innovation batteries instead.
Korean publication The Elec claims that Hyundai has selected SK Innovation and CATL as the suppliers for its forthcoming E-GMP-based electric vehicles, with SK Innovation handling the batteries of some of the first E-GMP-based models, including the Ioniq 5.
Read Also: See What Hyundai’s New Ioniq 5 EV Looks Like Out In The Real World
While we haven’t had the opportunity to test out the Ioniq 5 and won’t for a few months, the electric crossover certainly sounds promising. In addition to riding on the company’s all-new electric architecture, it will be offered with 58 kWh and 72.6 kWh battery packs, as well as single- and dual-motor setups.
The variant offering the longest range will be the single-motor model with the 72.6 kWh battery pack that’s good for between 292 miles and 298 miles (470 to 480 km) of range on the WLTP cycle. This model also produces 214 hp and 258 lb-ft (350 Nm) of torque. A dual-motor variant with the same battery pack will also be offered, complete with 302 hp and 446 lb-ft (605 Nm) of torque. Sitting at the base of the range will be a single-motor unit with the 58 kWh battery pack.
