Here we have a real treat for EV enthusiasts - a comprehensive, fast charging analysis of the brand new Hyundai Ioniq 5, based on the real-world data provided by the Hyundai Motor Group.
Unlike the previous artificial example, this time we can take a look at charging results of Hyundai Ioniq 5 from 10% to 80% State of Charge (SOC) in South Korea on April 20, 2021, at an outside temperature of 19°C and the battery temperature of 15°C (initial, we guess).
"*This video is the actual instrument cluster of the IONIQ 5, recorded during ultra-fast charging at Hyundai EV Station Gangdong (Gil-dong, Gangdong-gu, Seoul) at 12:00pm on April 20, 2021 (Tuesday).
- Detail conditions: The outside temperature was 19°C and the battery temperature was 15°C. (Charging performance improves at the ideal battery temperature of 25°C.)"
Here we would like to highly appreciate that Hyundai Motor Group provided such an informative video with details in the description - great job.
The outcome is simply amazing, far above any other charging curve in a mainstream electric car. It literally tramples the Audi e-tron, despite a smaller battery. Let's get into details!
Charging power vs state-of-charge (SOC)
The charging curve is quite complex, with multiple sharp increases and decreases along the way. It starts at about 115 kW at 10% SOC, at 14-15% SOC it increases to about 187 kW, and then again to 220 kW at 29-30% SOC.
The peak range is quite wide: between 30 to 51%. The peak value of more than 225 kW appears to be reached around 51% SOC, but then power quickly decreases (maybe due to too high temperature of the battery cells) to "just" 120 kW at 52-54%. Once the temperature stabilizes (we guess), the charging power increased once again to 170 kW. By 79-80% it decreases to around 130 kW.
It seems that Hyundai very closely monitors the battery temperature and adjusts the power immediately.
State-of-charge (SOC) vs time
The entire session takes more than 18 minutes (10-80% SOC), but the 20% to 80% SOC took just over 15 minutes. That's an outstanding result.
Hyundai Motor Group's official info about charging is:
- 10-80% SOC in 18 minutes (using 800V ultra-fast charger)
- 100 km of range (WLTP) in 4.5 minutes of charge
Average charging power vs state-of-charge (SOC)
The average power in the very important range from 20% to 80% SOC is 180 kW, which is 80% of the peak value. Another sign of how amazing the Hyundai Ioniq 5's charging capabilities are.
C-rate vs state-of-charge (SOC)
The peak C-rate* - charging power in relation to the total battery capacity of 77 kWh - is about 2.9C.
The average C-rate when charging from 20% to 80% SOC is over 2.3C
Both numbers are very high, and noteworthy is that the peak is available for a relatively wide window of SOC.
*C-rate tells us how the charging power relates to the battery pack capacity. For example: 1C is 1-hour charging power (current), when the power value in kW is equal to the battery pack capacity in kWh. 2C would be enough to recharge in half an hour.
The net battery capacity of 72.6 kWh stands for about 94% of the total battery capacity.
Range replenishing speed vs state-of-charge (SOC)
The rate of range replenishing depends on the energy consumption and the energy consumption depends on the use case.
In the case of Hyundai Ioniq 5 we will assume the WLTP range:
- WLTP
Taking into consideration the WLTP range of 480 km (298 miles) and available battery capacity of 72.6 kWh, we can assume energy consumption of 151 Wh/km (243 Wh/mile).
The effective average speed of range replenishing when charging from 20% to 80% SOC would be 20 km/minute (12.4 miles/minute).
The real-world charging session reveals an even higher average rate of range replenishing than in the example that we analyzed several days ago. It's amazing 25 km/minute (15.5 miles/minute) at peak, between 30-51% SOC, and the average of 20 km/minute (12.4 miles/minute) is an outstanding value.
Ultimate DC fast charging card
Here is our ultimate charging card for the Hyundai Ioniq 5 that shows an estimated time of charging to add a certain number of SOC percent points, average charging power, added energy and added range for listed SOC ranges. Click here to enlarge the image.
This one matrix shows us how much EV charging improved during the last 10 years (50 kW CHAdeMO) and Hyundai Ioniq 5 clearly offers a state-of-the-art result.
The matrix above, might be helpful from the user perspective, but be aware that it's just an estimate from a particular test, with measure and calculation uncertainty probably above 5%. On top of that comes variation for individual case - car (version, age/battery state-of-health), charger, ambient and battery temperature, software version and more (including cabin heating/cooling during charging). Another thing is that the charging curve might shift when charging starts at a lower/higher SOC.
Comparisons with other EVs
Comparison of charging power
And now it's time for a duel between two heavyweight contenders in terms of fast charging. Hyundai Ioniq 5 against the well-known Audi e-tron quattro 55 (2019 version data).
The South Korean newcomer charges at a higher power than the Audi e-tron for most of the SOC, its battery pack is 10% smaller (77 vs 95 kWh). Hyundai Ioniq 5 has higher peak and average (20-80% SOC) values.
An interesting thing happens at 70-80% SOC, where both charging curves not only are at similar charging power, but also decrease at a similar SOC - like they would have the same battery characteristics (or at least the same strategy), that requires such reduction.
Comparison of State-of-charge (SOC) vs time
Charging time tells everything - you can recharge between 20-80% SOC about 5 minutes (±1 minute) quicker in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 (roughly 25% quicker to 80% SOC).
*The starting points were adjusted to the lowest common SOC.
Comparison of C-rate
The C-rate comparison reveals how much higher the power load is on the Hyundai Ioniq 5 battery (in relation to its capacity), compared to the Audi e-tron.
Hyundai Ioniq 5's curve basically jumps on top of the Audi e-tron's curve, reaching over 80% higher peak and 44% higher average (20-80% SOC).
Comparison of range replenishing speed
The differences between the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Audi e-tron culminate in the comparison of the range replenishing speed.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 charges at higher power and is more efficient, which in effect translates into a much higher rate of replenishing range. The Audi e-tron would not have any chance in the long-range challenge as it would lose a couple minutes at each DC fast charger.
A little bit of summary:
| DC Fast Charging Comparison by InsideEVs | ||||||
| Model [data source] | Drive / Battery (kWh) | Max Power | Avg Power (20-80%) | Max C-Rate | Avg C-Rate (20-80%) | WLTP range rep. rate (20-80%) |
| 2019 Audi e-tron quattro 55 SUV [Fastned] | AWD 95 kWh | 155 kW | 149 kW | 1.6 | 1.6 | 12.4 km/min 7.7 mi/min |
| 2021 Hyundai Ioniq 5 [Hyundai] | AWD 77 kWh | 225 kW | 180 kW | 2.9 | 2.3 | 20 km/min 12.4 mi/min |
WLTP Range:
- 2019 Audi e-tron quattro 55 SUV - 417 km (259 miles)
- 2021 Hyundai Ioniq 5 - 480 km (298 miles)
Conclusions
Hyundai Ioniq 5's fast charging capabilities, in the 10-80% SOC range for which we have data, are simply amazing.
Once drivers around the world confirm similar results as presented by the Hyundai Motor Group, we might have a new fast-charging king.
We would like to see what is happening with the charging power above 80% (hopefully there will be at least a decent rate for those who need to fully charge for another stretch).
A side note: Fast charging in 15 minutes or so (20-80% SOC), and roughly 20 km/min (12.4 mi/min) average (20-80% SOC), might make it difficult to order some food and eat before charging ends. A 15 minute break every 290 km (180 miles) does not sound like a lot.
| 2021 Hyundai Ioniq 5 :: DC Fast Charging Summary by InsideEVs Drive: AWD; Battery pack (net / total): 72.6 / 77 kWh [Data source: Hyundai] | |
| Peak Power Peak C-rate Average Power (20-80% SOC) Average-to-Peak Power Average C-rate (20-80% SOC) Time (20-80% SOC) | 225 kW 2.9 180 kW 80% 2.3 15 min |
| Range Replenishing Speed (Average 20-80% SOC): | |
| WLTP | 20 km/min (12.4 mi/min) |
See also
General info:
* Some values on the charts are estimated from the data source.
** Temperature of the battery cells might highly negatively affect charging capabilities. We don't have data about temperatures of the battery at the beginning and during the charging process. In cold or hot weather, as well as after driving very dynamically, charging power might be significantly lower than shown on the charts (in extreme cases charging might be impossible until the battery temperature will not return to an acceptable level).