Hyundai turn IONIQ in to an electric car BRAND – Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6 and Ioniq 7 inbound

The Hyundai Ioniq is currently a model, but Ioniq is about to become a brand as Hyundai aim to deliver a range of individual EVs to the market.

What’s the right strategy for car makers to adopt as we move from ICE cars to EVs? Do they give existing models an EV powertrain option to keep the EVs familiar, or do they start all over again with new electric-only models?

Hyundai’s plan so far has been to offer electric versions of its existing range – like the electric Ioniq and electric Kona – but it appears that’s going to change, although how completely we’re not entirely sure.

Hyundai has announced that ‘Ioniq’ will become the Hyundai brand for electric cars, with a trio of Ioniq EVs launching in the next few years which, we assume, will mean the end of the Hyundai Ioniq as a Hyundai model.

The plan is to deliver a full range of EVs through the Ioniq brand – based on the new E-GMP EV Platform – with the Ioniq 5 a production take on the Hyundai 45 arriving early 2021, the Ioniq 6 as a production take on the Hyundai Prophecy in 2022 and a large electric SUV – the Ioniq 7 – arriving in 2024. Sticking the Hyundai 45 in as the Ioniq 5 clearly gives room to add EVs below as the Ioniq brand grows.

Although we can see the sense in this, we can’t see Hyundai stopping delivering EVs under the Hyundai banner any time soon, so perhaps they see this plan as something similar to Volvo’s plans with Polestar, with Hyundai still building mainstream EVs as a power option alongside ICE models in their range, and Ioniq building the more interesting EV stuff.