Hyundai Planning 402 km Electric Vehicle By 2020

Most US drivers go less than 64 km a day, but that's not stopping at least two high-profile automakers from building a 320-km EV. Both the Chevy Bolt EV and the Tesla Model 3 are shooting for this target.

They won't rest on their laurels. Hyundai is prepping a 402 km electric vehicle for 2020. Byung Ki Ahn, Hyundai's director, eco-vehicle performance development group, revealed the plans to Autoblog today after also confirming a 402 km EV for 2018. This is above and beyond the Ioniq EV that will launch in the US later this year with 110 miles of range. Hyundai already had revealed its plan to offer 26 new green models by 2020, including plug-ins, hybrids, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, but there were no specific details about the EVs mentioned there.

The EV world will be quite different in four years, but Hyundai thinks it has a strategy to get its customers prepared for the launch of the three Ioniq models, which include a plug-in hybrid and a standard hybrid, and future EVs. Until now, the company believes, according to Chris Hosford, Hyundai's corporate communications executive director, the automotive industry has not yet adequately communicated the advantages and differences of plug-in vehicles to customers. As Hyundai prepares to flood the market with green models in the next few years, expect lots of educational materials to come from Hyundai dealerships, as well as commercials. "We know there is a lot of education necessary," Hosford said.