Hyundai, Kia showcase new dedicated EV platform

Co-designed by the two leading Korea automakers, the e-GMP architecture lends itself exclusively to all-electric vehicles and will provide the basis for the Ioniq 5 SUV coming up next year.

The chassis looks similar to the Volkswagen MEB in many aspects, including per-wheel suspension on both ends, default RWD and optional AWD, length-adjustable wheelbase and track, and traction batteries made up from small stacked units.

Having said that, the e-GMP has certain advantages over the MEB: most importantly, it supports 800V, 350-kW charging instead of just 408V. You can replenish 80 percent of the battery capacity within 18 minutes or spend 5 minutes next to a charging terminal in exchange for 100 kilometers (62 miles) of range.

Batteries supported range from 50 to 100 kilowatt-hours in size, and the WLTP-rated driving range amounts to 500 km (310 miles). Top trims will be able to hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 3.5 seconds and max out at 260 km/h (161 mph). Maximum power output remains to be announced, but is expected to exceed the 306 PS (302 hp / 225 kW) that the VW MEB supports.

South Korean automakers plan to unveil 23 new EV models until 2025. In addition to Hyundai and Kia, Genesis will also utilize the new e-GMP platform.