1750km Test Drive in Ioniq Electric

[JanTreur]

I am a bit confused about the battery capacity. Is it true that 28 kWh is only the usable part of the battery? Is there documentation about that? If so, is the total capacity then like 32 kWh or 34 kWh?

Another question, am I right reading the Owners Manual that you can set yourself the battery temperature for the time of charging?

[JejuSoul]

...Is it true that 28 kWh is only the usable part of the battery?

Yes. 28 kWh usable. 31 kWh total. Hyundai is trying hard to avoid any discussion of the battery, so there is no official documentation of that. Contrast the LG Chem battery cells in the Ioniq EV with the LG Chem battery cells in the Bolt, and you will realise why Chevy is boasting and Hyundai is keeping quiet.

Another question, am I right reading the Owners Manual that you can set yourself the battery temperature for the time of charging?

No. You cannot set the battery temperature. I think you are referring to the pre-heating (or cooling) option for the cabin.

[JanTreur]

I cannot find it back in the Owners Manual. If you cannot set the battery temperature, what exactly is the car doing? For example, if it is freezing like -5º C, will the battery temperature just be like +5º C or will it go to room temperature +20º C?

[JejuSoul]

Most of the Ioniq EVs sold here in Jeju are the 'N' or lower trim. They do not have a battery heater. It never gets cold enough here that you would need it.
The battery heater is not controllable by the driver. If they have copied Kia with the Soul EV then the battery heater will come on somewhere around -20C automatically. You will need to read the Norwegian threads if you wish to understand how the car performs in weather this cold.

The pre-heating option warms the inside of the car, not the battery. The car needs to be plugged in. If you set it to +20C thirty minutes before you leave then the car will be warm when you get in. This makes it much more comfortable when you get in, and saves energy from the traction battery.

Here's a graph from the Soul EV that shows the power requirement in kW needed to pre-heat the cabin.

[JejuSoul]

I recently saw a black Ioniq EV with dark tint on all windows. It does look very cool completely black. That's the positive part.

Previously I was driving uphill at night in the rain. The black car was crossing the road at a junction in front of me. The combination of my windows being tinted, his car being totally black, and the glare from the wet road made his car really difficult to see until I get close. I was driving slowly so a crash was unlikely. But I do think this is a negative about tinting.

Here is a photo of the black Ioniq EV with the window tint.

[JanTreur]

Most of the Ioniq EVs sold here in Jeju are the 'N' or lower trim. They do not have a battery heater. It never gets cold enough here that you would need it.
The battery heater is not controllable by the driver. If they have copied Kia with the Soul EV then the battery heater will come on somewhere around -20C automatically. You will need to read the Norwegian threads if you wish to understand how the car performs in weather this cold.

The temperatures here in the Netherlands are not that low during wintertime. Usually it is often between 0º C and +10º C, and for a very few days between 0º C and -5º C or -10º C. So, a battery heater that only works for -20º C does not make sense here. Instead I was hoping for a heater that brings the battery from -5 º C, 0º C or +5º C to room temperature 20º C like in summertime.

[JanTreur]

This is what they say at the Dutch Website for the Ioniq EV; see
https://www.hyundai.nl/hyundai-ioniq-ev?gclid=Cj0KEQiAx7XBBRCdyNOw6PLHrYABEiQAJtyEQwJRSft4U3zhveCwgH4iXIyS9-kivnjXhFU8GzTjFYYaAtWE8P8HAQ#highlights):
(see also the UK site:
http://www.hyundai.com/eu/en/Showroom/Eco/IONIQ-Electric/PIP/index.html)

BATTERY CONDITIONING
The integrated heating system brings the battery at the ideal temperature for efficient charging and maximum range in cold conditions.



So, this created some expectations in me...

[ginforce]

How fun was that test drive

[SparkE]

I would love to be able to test drive (rather than just hear stories posted) BUT IT ISN'T AVAILABLE in Europe or the US yet!!!

You can't order it!! Stop talking about it!

[JanTreur]

That's not completely true. In the Netherlands I did a test drive last Saturday and I ordered it. It is already for one month available at the dealerships here. Delivery will take some time still, perhaps it will be in January that I get it.

During my test drive (with the car in ECO mode), I could not really test the range. The range at full charge was shown on over 180 km, based on a month-long (maybe wild) test drives through all kinds of other people (temperatures around 10º C). I immediately noticed the directness of the response on my controls; even my son who was sitting next to me noticed that. It also helped well in steering when visible lines were present (lane assist) so that even hands loose was possible (but not permitted), When I deliberately forced it to cut a line it beeped, the wipers were itself on and off with some rain on the way, and it made an emergency stop when I (to provoke) waited very long for braking. I have not tried the adaptive cruise control, but that should also work. It is very quiet up to 100 km/h; above that you hear the wind more. Of course I did accelerate very fast a few times. My overall experience was very positive.