As of last month, the Genesis GV70 2023 is now made in the United States — but only one of its variants, the battery-powered one, is called the Electrified GV70.
Behind that launch is a story. When President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act last August, building electric vehicles in the United States became much more important than it was back in the day. That’s because a provision in the broad industrial policy bill restricts purchase incentives for new battery- and electric-powered hybrids to those assembled in the United States.
At the time, the list of battery-powered vehicles that met that requirement was short: Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV, Ford F-150 Lightning, GMC Hummer EV, Nissan Leaf, and all four Tesla models (Model S, Model X). , Model 3 and Model Y). Since then, the list has expanded to include the Cadillac Lyriq and Volkswagen ID.4.
US production of Genesis Electrified GV70 in Alabama
That’s why I found myself in Montgomery, Alabama, in February, watching a convoy of electric-powered autonomous vehicles steer a Genesis GV70 crossover into position and slowly lift the truck overhead 7 feet. A separate robotic vehicle will then roll a battery pack into place underneath the newly built SUV and lift it into place.
After the heavy load was in place, a team of experienced factory technicians from the “Genesis Multifunctional Team” flooded under the vehicle. They bolted the package into place and connected the high voltage cables, liquid-cooled hoses, etc. After monitoring the car throughout production, their final step was to try charging before the new GV70 Electrified. rejoin with the rest of the cars built on the same line and wait for a test drive.
The battery demonstration and subsequent speeches by company employees and local, state and national politicians were dubbed the “Electrified GV70 Celebration Event”. The aim was to show that Hyundai’s massive plant in Montgomery, which opened in December 2005, is now building electric vehicles along with hundreds of thousands of internal combustion models each year.
US production of Genesis Electrified GV70 in Alabama
US production of Genesis Electrified GV70 in Alabama
US production of Genesis Electrified GV70 in Alabama
Acceleration for US-made electric vehicles
The plant currently produces the Elantra compact sedan, the Tucson compact crossover, the Santa Fe midsize crossover and the Santa Cruz pickup truck.
The Genesis Electrified GV70 is the battery-powered version of the well-reviewed and successful GV70 compact crossover, sold in the US for over a year with a choice of turbocharged 4- or V-6 petrol engines. By 2022, the brand has sold 19,141 GV70s, and the total would be higher if U.S. dealers could get more vehicles to accommodate, said Ted Mengiste, Vice President of Sales for Genesis US. buyer’s “insatiable appetite” for it.
The decision to add GV70 production to Montgomery was made quickly. Hyundai officials only met State Governor Kay Ivey in March 2022, The deal has been announced next monthand the early cars rolled out nine months later.
That makes Montgomery not only the first non-Korean Genesis plant, but also the first company in the U.S. to build battery-powered vehicles (although it does build plug-in hybrid versions of the Tucson and Santa Fe). A month after Alabama’s announcement, Hyundai said it would build a new American factory in Georgia, to assemble up to 300,000 EVs per year. The passage of an IRA seems to have accelerated those plans with Potential to expand to 500,000 units a year and also the possibility of having Genesis EVs from that factory.
US production of Genesis Electrified GV70 in Alabama
Electric cars and scooters of the same line
The secret to running multiple models alternately on the same production line is a consistent assembly process, with the same parts soldered together or assembled into the case in the process at the same point, regardless of the location. whether it’s a simple compact sedan or a luxury SUV. That consistent process allowed the factory to not only build the GV70 interspersed with different Hyundai models, but also fit the front and rear powertrain into the car in the same spot on the road that the petrol powertrain would be. — with front- or four-wheel drive — lifting from below and bolting into place.
The GV70 stamping parts are brought in and welded together in the same order as for the Santa Fe, and the finished shell will follow the same line to the same paint shop. Robert Burns, vice president and chief administrative officer of Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Inc, said every tenth vehicle on the line could be the GV70, meaning a production rate of six units per hour in one shift.
US production of Genesis Electrified GV70 in Alabama
However, Burns told Green Car Reports, the Genesis brand uses a more complex polishing process than Hyundai vehicles. To simplify that process, GV70 covers are batch mixed at the paint shop entrance, then painted in batches after the Hyundai clear coat has been peeled off the paint nozzle and the Genesis components have been loaded. enter. The painted Genesis enclosures are then returned to the manufacturing process in specific locations that correspond to the order of the “kitted” EV equipment and other components queued later in the process.
Back on the line, the GV70’s bright orange high-voltage wire is inserted into the vehicle along with the regular power cord. Its connectors are located in the front and rear engine standby positions, each engine has power electronics on the top, and they are connected to each other at the same time with countless parts of the harness. are normally connected to their various motors, switches and instruments.
The marriage of the battery pack: Definitely different from Tesla
One assembly that can’t fit on a production line built for motor vehicles is the installation of a half-ton battery pack, several feet long, under the cabin floor. All electrified GV70 models are battery-free and therefore cannot be self-powered.
That’s where the robot cars come in: the electric Genesis SUVs navigate to a new area at the end of the row, where they are moved by the AGV into place beneath a large chassis. Adjacent to the frame is a collection of electric vehicles containing fully charged battery packs including nickel-manganese-cobalt cells supplied by battery manufacturer SK On. The GV70 is lifted into the air, the AGV moves a package underneath it and lifts it into place, and the Multi-Function Group does the screwing, wiring, and connection from there.
US production of Genesis Electrified GV70 in Alabama
Once the battery is installed and connected, and the GV70 is lowered again, members of the Multifunction Team fill in the cooling system to keep the battery and motor at the desired temperature for maximum life. . They conduct a quick charge and discharge test to make sure all connections are working properly, then the GV70 Electrified can be shipped out of the factory.
Along with all Hyundai models built there, the Genesis will then enter the 2-mile test track, where all Montgomery-built vehicles are tested for acceleration, braking and handling. stability, watertight seal, suitable low noise and a host of other qualities.
US production of Genesis Electrified GV70 in Alabama
How does the Genesis Electrified GV70 work?
We had the opportunity to drive the initial production version of the electric-powered Alabama-built GV70 for half an hour on several roads and highways near the assembly plant. The cars provided to reporters bore VIN numbers from 000170 to 000230, indicating they had been built within the previous few weeks. Build quality is excellent, with no observable defects.
The test route was mostly straight and the local terrain was almost completely flat, so we couldn’t really weigh in on handling and grip. Our short ride shows that the electric GV70 benefits from the extra weight and lower center of gravity of the battery pack.
2023 Genesis electrified GV70
2023 Genesis electrified GV70
2023 Genesis electrified GV70
Colleague Marty Padgett attended a first driving event later; for a full impression, read him GV70 Electrified . reviewalong with a price that has not been established at the time of our visit to the factory.
like Electrification G80 the sedan that preceded it—and though the nickname “electrification” is confusing, commonly used in hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles—Electrified GV70 is an all-electric vehicle. The same 77 kilowatt-hour battery pack used in the Ioniq 5 hatchback and the upcoming Ioniq 6 sedan powers a pair of 160 kilowatt motors, each on the front and rear axles. Total power is 320 kw (429 hp) and 516 lb-ft of torque, and the “Boost” function allows the engine to deliver 355 kw (483 hp) for up to 10 seconds through a button on the steering wheel. Two trim levels are available: Advanced and Prestige, roughly equivalent to two of the top three on the petrol GV70.
Fully electric by 2030
Genesis will sell only battery-electric models by 2030, the brand said in September. The company’s last new petrol model will launch in 2025, with a shelf life of five years before new petrol vehicles disappear from showrooms earlier this decade.
Hyundai says Alabama-built electric GV70 models will begin appearing in US buyers’ driveways by the end of March. Canadian buyers will, however, receive their electric GV70s from main production line in Ulsan, South Korea—as well as the rest of the world.
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Genesis provided airfare, accommodation and meals so Green Car Reports could bring you this first report.
