Hyundai’s EV 45 Concept Is Coming To Life

Hyundai unveiled a concept car at the Frankfurt motor show in September of 2019. I usually don’t care for concepts; however, there have been spy shots of the EV 45 testing on a track, and this can be very exciting for first time EV buyers.

History of the Hyundai EV 45

A bit of history regarding the EV 45 concept, one of the main goals with this EV was to inject some of Hyundai’s heritage with this new concept car. Back in 1974, Hyundai unveiled a radical concept by the name of “Pony Coupe Concept.” Today’s EV 45 takes design cues from the Pony Coupe Concept car.

The number 45 in EV 45 also refers to the 45-year gap between the 1974 concept and the 2019 EV 45 concept. Hyundai’s EV 45 also takes advantage of 45-degree angles designs in the front and rear. EV 45 represents the future of Hyundai’s sleek and minimalistic design moving forwards.

Thoughts on the Hyundai EV 45

I think it is excellent that Hyundai wants this new concept to harken back to its past and have some form of emotion attached to this car. The thing that is lacking with most new Electric or Hybrid vehicles is that they feel like nothing to drive.

Many new Electric cars feel like they it’s made for people who do not like driving. Hyundai’s approach to being connected to its heritage, and the driver goes a long way in this ever-growing segment. I recently reviewed the 2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, and it was such a smooth driving car even more so than the 2020 Lexus LS500h, which I tested as well.

Hyundai EV 45 Exterior and Interior

Hyundai’s approach to minimalism in exterior design and interior design is what makes Hyundai models of right now so great. Looks are subjective; however, getting inside of a new Hyundai makes everything easy to use and easy to understand. Ergonomics are perfect, and Hyundai does a great job of offering a lot of features but not being intimidated by them.

I noticed that Hyundai was going for an all-screen look in the interior instead of physical controls, which is something, I appreciate currently in new Hyundai cars. Climate control typically has its temperature readouts, knobs, switches, etc. Hyundai has done a great job of making it easy to use the infotainment. Hopefully, they will continue this trend moving forwards, and when the concept becomes fully realized, they could even throw in some physical buttons for every day used features.

The EV 45’s interior represents a living room space. The car will even have carpets to mimic this design, which will also aid in lowering cabin noise while on the move. Batteries will lay flat underneath the passenger’s feet, similar to a Tesla. Hyundai calls this battery placement the “skateboard.” This skateboard design will improve passenger space and will low for ample space to store mobile devices, laptops, tablets, etc.

Hyundai EV 45 Conclusions

I like what Hyundai has done in terms of trying to mimic its amazing concept car of 1974. No, it doesn’t look quite like that, but hopefully, this car does not end up just being a self-driving machine. I would like for this to be an electric car with an authentic feel that doesn’t feel entirely numb.

Whatever the EV 45 ends up being, hopefully, it is a quality electric car at an affordable price that most people could commonly lease or finance. To me, Hyundai is a master of giving the public a high-quality product with an excellent price and dependable warranty. I hope to see the production version soon.

Kevin Meyn is an automotive journalist for Torque News concentrating on Hyundai content. Kevin is the founder of Exhaust Sports Auto Youtube channel, where he does professional car reviews on new and used vehicles. Through the use of various resources and extended Automotive expertise, Kevin documents the latest in automotive news revolving around Hyundai. Kevin graduated from NC State University studying Supply Chain Management but has had a passion for cars since he was a child. Follow Kevin on Twitter and Instagram @exhaustsports.