2020 Hyundai Ioniq 70-mph Highway range test

We fully charge a 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Electric and drive it at a constant 70-mph (113 km/hr) to see how far it will go on our EV highway range test.

Important test notes:
Tires set before the drive at the recommended 36 psi
Temperature: 71 F (22 C) degrees at start - 79 (26 C) degrees F at the end.
Wind: Mild, 4-6 mph crosswind.
Driving Mode: Normal

Results: 171 miles (275 km) (EPA range rating is 170 miles)
Efficiency: 4.5 mi/kWh - 13.78 kWh/100 km

[plugandplayEV]

These tests are great, thanks Tom. Bjorn always called the old Ioniq the "efficiency king" -- glad to see it regained the crown! 👑⚡

[mikeg]

Thank you! I love these tests. The EPA should scrap its current testing and simply do a 70 mph around 70 degrees temp with climate control set to 70 degrees test for EVs . This gives a comparable baseline. City range is largely irrelevant, as virtually no EV is worse in city driving than highway. But for people trying to replace an ICE vehicle with an EV, they need to know how it will do on a road trip . A good portion of the highways are 70 mph now so it is a relevant benchmark for real world driving. I would love to see a 70 mph range test of a Model 3 standard range plus to see if it can beat the Hyundai. Keep up the good work!

[Noah_E]

This is the most relevant test of an EV I've seen yet.

[mtumasz]

Great point about different range modes at a constant high speed

[kaya]

More impressive is the efficiency of this vehicle at 60MPH it gets very close to 6 miles per KWh which gives it a range of close to 230 miles if you keep it at 60MPH

[Merritt]

Ive been watching a lot of reviews about EV's and have to say you are one of the best, have a Ioniq coming next week so intresting to see your review.
Think ive picked the right car for my first EV, yes its slow at charging but i will be charging at work so wont be an issue.
Thanks for your honest review and look forward to your full review shortly. 👍

[balladboy]

Brlliant! This car is going places! Thanks for the wonderful review Tom!

[brocky]

Phenomenal test. Loved the information. I'm really leaning towards leasing it now

[jamescurnick]

Brilliant....should be picking up my 2020 se ev model next week and really looking forward to it...swapping in my Toyota CHR hybrid which I have never really loved to be honest so i'm happy to part ex it for this ioniq...thought about the Kona but pushing 50yrs now the ioniq shape won me over as I like a hatchback/sallon style car....thanks for the video...very helpful in making my final decision 🤜🤛

[dh-]

Your comments on the 2nd half of the battery going faster is really interesting. I have noticed it on my 2018 LEAF as well, although not to the degree you mention on the i3 and others.
I think what's going on is that as the voltage goes down and the current is going up it results in more energy being lost as heat.
I say that based on watching the battery thermal data across 280 miles and multiple charging sessions.

[alex-sd]

Awesome test! My wife is about to get one of these.

[barryw]

Tom, thanks for the review. I beg to differ about driving mode. I find even at highway speeds in my e-Golf, the driving mode makes a significant difference. In the e-Golf, the driving mode cuts hp (about 25 hp drop to ECO and another 25 hp to ECO+) and reduces effectiveness of HVAC. Of course, turning off HVAC makes a big difference, too. If I drive at highway speeds (62 mph) in Normal mode the car uses more mi/kWh than if I drive at the same speed with same HVAC settings in Eco mode. FYI, I NEVER drive in Normal mode - I only wish I could make the e-Golf default to ECO mode. Cheers!

[gerbre]

Not to forget: 1.) the Tesla M3 has a bigger front surface, so the total wind resistance is larger. 2.) the Ioniq has a good heat pump, which is not used in WLTP measurements, but in real world. The M3 does not have one. This makes the advantage of the Ioniq event bigger.

[MyMateYourMate]

The Ioniq is a fantastic EV, good value these days second hand too.

[hyric]

Hoping to see these running around in my home country.

[idolon]

Great objective review . I am really keen on the Ionic, so, Thank you for the interesting data . Hopefully the Reliability and longevity will stand up as well . PS, Have you checked the Plug In, hybrid version for efficiency .

[bazoo]

To nitpick, drive mode does make a very slight difference in efficiency if the car tweaks A/C settings or is capable of changing the ride height But other than that, I agree - one can achieve the same effect by being careful with one's foot.

[einattzadok]

With PM engine and constant speed, the lighter the car and more aerodynamic it is, the more efficient it gets. There is no magic in the Hyundai. If Porsche Taycan had similar weight, it will be even more efficient as it uses lower RPMs. Things start to be different with variable speed, and this is what EPA is testing. The ability to recoup energy in various conditions in efficient manner and as of today, Tesla is by far the front runner.

[davidpearn]

I’ve noticed recently that there are directional wheels the draw air IN on one side and deflect air AWAY on the other side and nobody seems to notice it.
Tesla does a good job of hiding it by design detailing.

[Pervypriest]

What is most impressive with the Ioniq, is that its not from the ground up designed as an EV, it shares the platform with an fossil engine powered counterpart . I guess the Hyundai drivetrain is so low on friction, so threre is where most of its efficiency comes from