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LIGHTWEIGHTING
AD&P; ∕ OCTOBER 2017
HYUNDAI IONIQ
Hybrid: 2,996 pounds
Electric: 3,164 pounds
Twenty-six pounds. That's how much weight is saved in the Ioniq Hybrid because the traditional
12-volt battery has been deleted. This is just one example of how the Hyundai engineers looked
at a multiplicity of ways to reduce mass for the Ioniq, a vehicle that will be available as a conven-
tional hybrid, a plug-in hybrid and as an electric vehicle. (The plug-in will be a 2018 model.)
While in the approximate area of the hood, it is worth noting that they're using an aluminum
hood, which, at 16.5 pounds, provides a 14.4-pound weight savings compared with steel. They're
saving 13.5 pounds through the use of aluminum for the rear hatch (which weighs 16.5 pounds,
as well).
There is aluminum used for the Ioniq suspension, as well. They calculate that through the
use of things like aluminum control arms, the total weight save is approximately 22 pounds (13
pounds in the front and 9 in the rear).
But this being Hyundai—know that Hyundai Group runs a steel company—there is an exten-
sive use of advanced high-strength steel: 54 percent of the body-in-white is made with these
strong-but-light steels.
Because this is an advanced environmental platform that is all about efficiency—using EPA
numbers, Hyundai points out that the "Cost to Drive" 25 miles is $0.81 for the Ioniq Electric,
$0.92 for the Chevy Bolt and $0.97 for the Nissan Leaf; the cost for driving an Ioniq Hybrid Blue
is $1.00, $1.04 for the Toyota Prius Eco and $1.46 for the Ford C-Max—on the interior there is the
use of recycled plastic.
Not just regular recycled plastic, but polymers combined with powdered wood and volcanic
stone filler materials, resulting in a weight save of 20 percent.
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Hyundai engineers looked at mass reduction throughout the Ioniq, whether
it took form of advanced high-strength steels in the body in white to using
volcanic rock filler material for interior plastic components.