Hyundai's all-electric small car to go into production in 2023

BorgWarner, the electric powertrain partner of the Hyundai Motor Group has confirmed that the South Korean carmaker plans to roll out a new electric car in the next two years. It will be launching a pure-electric city car that is slated to go into production mid-way through 2023.

Hyundai Motor Group has signed a deal with BorgWarner that suggests that the upcoming battery-powered vehicle could be launched under any of HMG's brands. But the electric car is most likely to land only under Hyundai or Kia branding.

BorgWarner has agreed to supply a new integrated electric drive module for the upcoming vehicle that combines the motor and gearbox into one bolt-in unit. This new setup has been claimed to save space and also weigh less than a conventional electric drivetrain.

Hyundai's upcoming electric vehicle will be pitted as a city car that is most likely to span between 3.5 and 3.7 metres in length. Its electric powertrain will be responsible for a peak output of 135kW (181bhp). The electric powertrain setup offered by BorgWarner will also feature a modular inverter that will dial-back the motor’s output to a100bhp, making its performance similar to a more humble petrol-powered i10 car.

The car will deploy the same 400v architecture as the existing Hyundai Kona electric car. When using a 50kW DC rapid charger, it is likely to deliver around 160 km of range in half an hour of charging. Its battery pack will be smaller than the Kona EV, likely around 40kWh with a maximum range of around 350 km in a single charge cycle.

Once launched, the car may also arrive on the Indian shores but nothing is confirmed as of yet.