Hyundai Introduces Low-Cost Electric Vehicle for Europe

Hyundai, a South Korean carmaker has announced its official planning to launch two electric compact cars in Europe as early as 2023, including a successor of i10 that may be known as Ioniq 2.

Hyundai Motor Europe's Marketing Director, Andreas-Christoph Hofmann, claims that the company has committed to bring an all-electric entry-level car to the European market although the "battery-powered minicar" will take some time to evolve into a form that can go into production.

The two electric small cars are expected to carry a price tag of roughly around RM90K (€20,000) and speculated to have maximum output of 181 hp or 135 kW, but no further details are confirmed yet.

Despite the ‘affordable’ price, Hyundai still expects the cars to be unprofitable because of their low cost and the technological challenges associated with electrifying small automobiles.

The popularity of small cars in Europe is something that big automakers such as Volkswagen Group hope to capitalise on as they prepare their upcoming EV lines. Hence, it is necessary that Hyundai produce a compact EV to venture into the European market.