Hyundai spotted testing Lucid Air and ZEEKR X hints a luxury EV is in the works

Is Hyundai developing a luxury electric sedan? Possibly under the Genesis brand. Hyundai was recently spotted testing a Lucid Air electric sedan in South Korea, suggesting a high-end Hyundai EV could be in the works.

Hyundai testing the luxury Lucid Air and ZEEKR X models

Hyundai is pushing ahead this year after selling a record 268,785 electric vehicles globally last year.

Based on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform, sales of dedicated EVs like the IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6 continue heating up. According to Kelley Blue Book data, Hyundai’s IONIQ 5 electric SUV was the sixth best-selling EV in the US last year, with nearly 34,000 registrations.

Hyundai was the fourth best-selling EV brand last year. Including Kia, Hyundai topped Ford (69,163) and GM’s Chevy (63,659) in US electric vehicle registrations in 2023 with over 80,000.

The automaker is opening its first EV and battery plant in the US ahead of schedule this year. After being rewarded for its contributions to the state of Georgia with its own “Hyundai Day,” the company said it expects to begin production in Q4, ahead of its initial early 2025 timeline.

Hyundai is “pulling ahead” to gain access to the $7,500 federal EV tax credit. It’s also expected to introduce its first three-row electric SUV, the IONIQ 7, in June at the Busan Motor Show.

According to recent videos from ShortsCar, Hyundai appears to be benchmarking the Lucid Air and ZEEKR X luxury electric models in Korea.

The spottings suggest a luxury Hyundai electric vehicle could be in the works. Hyundai’s high-end Genesis brand is expanding in the US after nearly quadrupling EV sales last year.

With over 6,400 all-electric models handed over last year, Genesis topped Lucid and Lexus in US EV sales. Genesis is already updating several electric models, including the GV60 and Electrified GV70.

Meanwhile, Hyundai is launching a flagship electric Genesis model at its new dedicated EV plant in Ulsan, South Korea. The plant’s manager revealed a “super-large” Genesis electric SUV will be produced for the first time, according to The Korean Car Blog.

A report from Korea’s ET News claims Hyundai is developing a massive 113.2 kWh battery for the flagship luxury EV, which would be among the highest on the market.

Is Hyundai benchmarking the Lucid Air and ZEEKR X for its upcoming luxury EV? It could be. Lucid’s Gravity electric SUV was also spotted in South Korea earlier this month.

Hyundai aims to be among the top three EV makers by 2030. That will mean expanding into new markets, including luxury and entry-level.

What kind of luxury EV would you want to see from Hyundai or Genesis? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Source: The Korean Car Blog