Because the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is similar in size to a Tata Harrier, it is too big for my cramped residential parking space, which means I can’t use it as a daily driver. So, ever since this EV entered the Autocar India long term fleet, I’ve been yearning to spend time with it. And after many months, I finally got an opportunity – a weekend getaway to Aamby Valley City, a holiday township, located around 125km away from Mumbai. Since I’ve tested this Hyundai EV extensively, its combined range of 457km made me very confident that the Ioniq 5’s battery would have enough juice for the round trip and still be left with sufficient charge.
“It looks futuristic. Nice colour. It is so spacious.” These were some of the remarks by my wife and friends, who were totally blown away by the Ioniq 5. With a fully charged battery, a boot full of luggage, and three very excited passengers, we set off. Since the intent wasn’t to maximise range, I drove in ‘Normal’ mode for the most part, and switched to ‘Sport’ mode on a few occasions. The state of charge (SoC) dropped at a gradual pace on smooth highways; however, it was the 40 kilometres of the hilly roads that took a heavier toll on its battery. By the time we reached our destination, battery level had dropped to 48 percent. This was possibly the first time I second-guessed my belief in its range.