Hyundai will halve the AC charging time for its future electric vehicles

The manufacturer’s future electric vehicles will be able to charge much faster using home and office chargers, such as the Wallbox. In its latest sustainability report, the company states that the future introduction of its dedicated next-generation electric vehicle platforms will bring a 50 percent reduction in AC charging time.

Hyundai is currently developing its new eM platform for electric passenger vehicles, alongside the eS platform for Purpose Built Vehicles (PBVs). In addition to faster charging, the South Korean manufacturer also hopes to increase the battery pack capacity of these new vehicles by 40 percent and motor power by 28 percent.

At present, Hyundai uses its most advanced technology in the IONIQ 5 N. This high-performance vehicle features a 10.5 kW three-phase AC onboard charger. The battery pack it uses, on the other hand, is lithium-ion with a capacity of 84 kWh. According to the manufacturer, it takes around seven hours and 35 minutes to complete a home charge using a Wallbox. If the South Korean manufacturer’s plans come to fruition, this same process could be completed in just under four hours.

When will we see these improvements in a production model?

Everything points to the eM platform debuting in the new Genesis GV90, a full-size SUV with three rows of seats. The new electric flagship from the South Korean manufacturer could therefore be the first vehicle from the brand with twice the AC charging speed. Hyundai has already confirmed that its new electric vehicles based on the eM platform will include novel features, such as swivelling seats in the first and second rows, a pop-up screen and advanced level 3+ driver assistance functions.

On the other hand, Hyundai plans to offer electric models based on the eM platform with battery packs that provide a higher energy density compared with the current models based on the E-GMP platform, which distribute their cells across modules. In addition, the company will use LFP cells instead of NMC cells in certain entry-level models in order to offer more competitive prices, as is already the trend in the sector.

The eM platform will cover segments B through E, thereby allowing a much broader range than with the current E-GMP platform. The South Korean manufacturer plans to launch four electric models under the Hyundai brand and five more under the Genesis brand between 2025 and 2030, all based on its new modular platform. As expected, Kia will also use this same platform, in this case for four new electric models that will reach the market during the same period.