Early Plug-in Ioniq adopter
Excellent option for anyone looking for an electric commuter while maintaining the ability to extend the range with the gas engine. The publicized 29 electric miles is in idealized conditions (i.e. not using heating/ac), but if your daily commute is under 25 miles total as mine is, you'll essentially never burn gas. "Essentially" because, it's important to note, the Ioniq PHEV has no "electric-only" mode. If you have to accelerate quickly on an uphill, it will kick on the gas engine; and if you need the heat, it will burn gas for a while simply to generate heat. This was disappointing to me at first, but I've quickly gotten used to the idea. It doesn't burn much gas at all to get the heat going, and in the case of acceleration, it promptly turns off the gas engine once you're moving (or accelerating more gradually). I plug in overnight using the wall socket in my garage, and I only fill the gas tank for long drives. In some sense, a PHEV is a half-measure, and it is a bit of a shame to lug around an internal combustion engine that I am constantly attempting not to use. On the other hand, I sure have needed the ICE on long drives -- I occasionally make trips to another city 175 miles away -- and right now the only fully-electric options that could get me there start at $10K more than the Ioniq and would necessitate installing a level-2 charger in the home for another grand. All in all, right now the Ioniq PHEV is the most affordable electric commuter around, and it's a robust option. Trunk space rivals the Kia Niro plug-in and Prius Prime, and it undersells those on price while delivering an attractively "normal-looking" sedan style interior.
A note on charging: the manual lists the "ICCB (In-cable control box)," meaning the regular wall-plug that the car is sold with, as "for emergencies only." This appears to be legalese, for liability issues. Given that there's a gas engine, there aren't really "emergency" situations that you absolutely need electrical power. And there doesn't seem to be any problem with plugging in overnight every night to a wall socket. Sure, it should be have a ground-fault circuit interrupter (which they all do if they're in your garage and they're to code) and be able to take a sustained load. The ICCB has three settings, drawing 8, 9, and 12 amps, so if you're worried about it, you can start low. The car still reaches a full charge overnight on the lowest 8 amp setting. (For comparison, big AC unit draws 12 amps from what I've read.) In sum: I'm charging with the wall outlet full-time, and I'm not the only one, and it's all good so far.
Recommended
Verified Owner
