Category: General

General Motors is investigating a new way of configuring prismatic battery cells to improve cooling characteristics.

A patent filing from the automaker published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), dated Dec. 26, 2024 but originally filed by GM Jun. 23, 2023, details stacking of layers in an inverted “U” shape, as opposed to the rolled or stacked layers used in current prismatic cells.

This format creates higher thermal conductivity in the horizontal direction in the upper part of the cell for better heat dissipation, as well as in the vertical direction near the bottom of the cell, potentially increasing the effectiveness of cooling systems when they’re installed in a pack, GM claims.

General Motors inverted

The inverted “U” stack also increases thermal delay time within the cell, causing heat to spread more slowly, according to the filing. Even if the cell overheats, the peak temperature should thus stay lower and potentially be more contained, GM claims, adding that this allows for a thermal response barrier that’s 50% thinner.

That could in future cell designs help reduce cell size, or boost energy density by cramming more active material into that space. And to tease out a greater advantage, pack size might also be smaller due to those reduced cooling needs. 

But the cell format proposed here is also a more complex shape that could present manufacturing challenges, which might explain why the big battery manufacturers haven’t tried it yet.

General Motors inverted

GM already appears to be on a path to use pouch, cylindrical, and prismatic cell formats, all at once, in its production EVs, and it’s emphasized that flexibility. It’s also considered some odd cell shapes in previously filed patents, also with an eye toward improved cooling.

Tesla, Lucid, and Rivian have all chosen to emphasize cylindrical cells—with apparent advantages in range and efficiency. BMW is also set to use cylindrical cells in its next-generation Neue Klasse EVs, the first of which recently entered pre-production ahead of a planned 2025 debut, with promises of substantially increased energy density.

General Motors is following a handful of other automakers and battery firms in developing mixed-chemistry battery packs for electric vehicles.

GM laid out its version of this concept in a patent filing published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Nov. 28, 2024. In that document, which was first filed by GM Aug. 2, 2023, the automaker discusses combining nickel manganese cobalt (NCM) with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) or other similar chemistries.

General Motors Ultium batteries

The two chemistries would be split into discreet modules, potentially with different usable capacities, according to the filing. A controller would monitor factors such as temperature and state of charge, and potentially bypass one chemistry or another in a given situation.

A mixed-chemistry pack could balance performance and cost by combining cheaper LFP battery cells with NCM cells, which offer higher power and energy density, GM notes in the filing. Two different chemistries can lead to a charge imbalance that reduce the usable capacity of a battery pack, GM adds, but the automaker hopes ability to bypass one set of cells while charging another will address that.

BMW iX prototype to use Our Next Energy mixed-chemistry battery pack

Certain chemistries can also be charged faster, which could enable smaller battery packs and counteract current pack inflation, which adds cost and weight, consumes more raw materials, and in the real world still often leads to longer charging times once that added charge is exhausted. Combining some of these specialized cells with slower-charging commodity cells could help make EVs more practical.

Other companies are working on mixed-chemistry battery packs. CATL recently announced one aimed at bringing faster charging to plug-in hybrids, and U.S. startup Our Next Energy (ONE) showed in 2022 how it could use mixed-chemistry tech to extract 600 miles of range from a BMW iX—nearly doubling its EPA range. Mercedes-Benz has also developed hardware that could lay the groundwork for mixed cell types.

Hyundai is continuing work on in-wheel hub motors for electric vehicles, two recent patent filings indicate.

One filing, published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Nov. 14, 2024, after being submitted by Hyundai’s affiliated technology supplier, Hyundai Mobis, earlier in the year, covers a drive mechanism that would allow a hub-mounted electric motor to spin a wheel. This would consist of a wheel bearing, outer race, and a speed reducer incorporating a ring gear couple to the bearing.

Hyundai in-wheel drive unit patent image

The second document, published by the USPTO Oct. 29, 2024, and originally filed by Hyundai Mobis Feb. 13, 2022, is for an “in-wheel working device.” This is essentially a setup for incorporating a gearshift mechanism into the rotor of a hub-mounted motor.

While not all patented ideas make it to production, these two patents indicate Hyundai is at least still developing in-wheel motors, having teased some similar concepts in the past, including the e-Corner modular steering and propulsion system. It packaged in-wheel motors along with steering and braking hardware into modules that could be installed at all corners of a vehicle, allowing more packaging freedom and the ability to rotate wheels up to 90 degrees.

Hyundai in-wheel working device patent image

Hyundai and Kia in 2023 also unveiled an alternative design that split the difference between conventional motors and in-wheel motors. Called the Universal Drive System—or Uni Wheel—it moved motors closer to the wheels, but not into them.

Other automakers, such as Ferrari and Toyota, have patented in-wheel motor designs. China’s Dongfeng claims to be the first to use in-wheel motors in a production passenger car, although the Lordstown Endurance pickup truck also used them before its production stalled. Aptera also plans to use in-wheel motors for its three-wheeler, but that vehicle will be an autocycle, not a car.

• The 2025 Subaru Solterra costs $39,915
• Subaru cut the EV’s base price by $6,500 compared to the 2024 model
• Subaru works the $7,500 tax credit toward lower lease numbers
  

Like its Toyota cousin, the bZ4X, the 2025 Subaru Solterra receives significant price cuts for the new model year, plus a new dark-themed appearance package.

Subaru confirmed 2025-model-year pricing Friday, including a new base price of $39,915 for the entry-level Premium grade, with destination. That price is $6,500 less than the 2024 model, although some of that is countered by an increase of the destination charge from $1,345 to $1,420.

The Solterra Limited grade also receives a $6,500 price cut, bringing its MSRP to $43,415 with destination. This grade adds features like 20-inch wheels, power-adjustable front seats, a power tailgate, an 11-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, and a 12.3-inch touchscreen, compared to the Premium’s 8.0-inch screen.

2025 Subaru Solterra

2025 Subaru Solterra

2025 Subaru Solterra

Touring models now start at $46,415—$7,000 less than the 2024 model year. They get additional convince features, including a moonroof, a digital rearview mirror and ventilated front seats (heating is standard on all models).

As with the 2024 model, Subaru claims that the 2025 Solterra “will qualify for applicable tax credits of up to $7,500 for some consumers.” Despite not being assembled in the U.S., and not qualifying for the purchase credit, Solterra leases are indeed subsidized by the so-called “leasing loophole” that allows captive credit companies to claim imported EVs to be leased as commercial fleet vehicles. Automakers and their credit firms offering the lease are under no obligation to pass the full credit along to consumers. Meanwhile, the EV tax credit in its various forms is reportedly being targeted by the incoming Trump Administration.

For an additional $500, the new-for-2025 Onyx Edition gives the Touring grade black wheels and exterior trim and two-tone color options. This makes it similar to the Nightshade Edition that joins the Toyota bZ4X lineup for 2025. The Toyota has also gotten less expensive, with price cuts of up to $6,000.

2025 Subaru Solterra

While the bZ4X is available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, in keeping with the Subaru ethos, the Solterra is available with dual-motor all-wheel drive only. Subaru lists output as 215 hp and 249 lb-ft of torque, with power supplied by a 72.8-kwh battery pack as in the bZ4X. EPA range is unchanged, at 227 miles for Premium models and 222 miles for other grades, which have larger 20-inch wheels.

Subaru launched the Solterra as a 2023 model and made a number of changes for 2024, including an improved battery conditioning system that allows for faster charging. DC fast charging from 10% to 80% takes about 35 minutes, Subaru estimates. That still makes the Solterra one of the slower-charging electric crossovers. In a test drive of the 2024 Subaru Solterra, we found that while charging remains at a crawl, it’s now in the same efficiency ballpark as the rival Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Volkswagen ID.4.

• VW bypassed conventional dealerships for selling upcoming Scout electric trucks
• Dealer interests in California say this is in violation of franchise laws
• Existing automakers sell vehicles via franchise or direct model, but not both

California has the most EV-friendly policies of any state, but that warm-and-welcoming attitude isn’t shared by the state’s franchised dealerships.

A group of those dealerships has threatened legal actions against the Volkswagen Group’s new Scout Motors EV brand, if it doesn’t stop taking reservations for its electric Terra pickup truck and Traveler SUV due in 2027.

Scout has said that it will rely on a direct-sales model—similar to that of other all-electric brands like Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid.

In a December 20 letter to Scout Motors general counsel Neil Sitron and VW Group of America general counsel Antony Klapper, first spotted by Automotive News, the California New Car Dealers Association said the direct-sales plan “wrongfully cuts new and existing VW dealers out of an opportunity” and allegedly violates California’s franchise laws.

Scout Traveler concept

“California law states that manufacturers may not compete with their own franchisees by using affiliates to directly sell or service vehicles, which is precisely what VW and Scout intend to do,” the letter said.

Dealers have been grumbling about direct sales since Tesla rolled out its sales infrastructure over a decade ago. At the time Tesla indicated that it didn’t feel its electric vehicles would get a fair chance being sold at franchised dealerships alongside gasoline vehicles. Dealers responded with lobbying campaigns at the state level to protect franchise laws, something Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe has called “as close as you can get to corruption.”

But while automakers like Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid all rely partly on company-owned showrooms, they’ve also never used franchised dealerships. Scout, on the other hand, is still part of the VW Group, so the argument seems to be that VW can have dealerships or it can have direct sales, but it can’t have both—even if the different sales models were siloed by brand.

Scout Terra concept

Volvo found the right balance with Polestar, which has been allowed by the states as a direct-sales model, but with some level of customer service—and the service-and-repair operation itself, in many cases—connected to Volvo dealerships.

An approach like that might have helped to cool tempers here. U.S. dealerships had been asking VW for pickups for years, and VW didn’t keep dealerships in the loop at all about the Scout brand. It came as a complete surprise.

Meanwhile, VW recently took a $5.8 billion stake in Rivian, which happens to already make trucks that are very close to the same format as Scout previewed in concept form earlier this fall, still more than two years away from production. And, in Rivian’s case, its network of company-owned showrooms are already in place.

• The 2025 Nissan Ariya costs $40,980
• The longest-range model will go up to 289 miles on a charge
• The Ariya now has Tesla Supercharger access

The Nissan Ariya lineup is condensed for 2025, with the longest-range variant lost in the shuffle.

The number of trim levels shrinks from eight to six. Prices hold steady after substantial cuts for the 2024 model year, with the base Engage model costing $40,980 after the mandatory $1,390 destination charge. That buys a single-motor front-wheel-drive powertrain and 66-kwh (gross, 63 kwh usable) battery pack.  A dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain, dubbed e-4ORCE, is a $4,000 option on this grade, with the same size pack.

2025 Nissan Ariya

Nissan continues to offer a 91-kwh (87 kwh usable) pack, which delivers 289 miles of range in the front-wheel-drive Evolve+ grade. That model, which is priced at $45,760 with destination, now offers the most range of any Ariya grade, as the 304-mile Venture+ model has disappeared from the lineup. So has the Empower+ front-wheel-drive grade.

All-wheel-drive models with the larger pack round out the lineup. The least expensive way to get this combination is the Engage+ e-4ORCE, which costs $46,760 after destination. Evolve+ e-4ORCE ($49,760) and Platinum+ e-4ORCE ($55,760) grades are positioned above it.

2025 Nissan Ariya

Wireless device charging is now standard on all grades, and Nissan has begun rolling out Tesla Supercharger access. For now, Ariya owners need a $235 adapter for this, but Nissan plans to begin fitting new EVs sold in the U.S. with Tesla-style North American Charging Standard (NACS) ports starting in 2025.

The Ariya was a Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy 2024 finalist, and will reportedly be joined by a smaller electric crossover replacing the long-serving Nissan Leaf, but it’s unclear if apparent merger talks with Honda will affect that plan.

• Vinfast recalled 4,888 VF 8 electric SUVs
• The center airbag mounted to the driver’s seat could deploy improperly
• Vinfast will replace the airbag free of charge

Vinfast is recalling certain VF 8 electric SUVs because of faulty airbags that could injure drivers.

The recall includes 4,888 vehicles from model years 2023 to 2025. The center airbag mounted in the driver’s seat in these vehicles “may deploy improperly” during a side impact, striking the driver’s arm and potentially causing injuries, according to the NHTSA.

Vinfast estimates that 100% of the recalled vehicles have this defect, which the automaker said it became aware of after a test conducted by the NHTSA in June that led to a safety inquiry.

2023 Vinfast VF 8

The defect is due to the cushion shape and inflation angle of the original airbag design, which allows the airbag to deploy between the driver’s arm and torso in some circumstances, the NHTSA said. Vinfast worked with the agency to redesign the center airbag with a different shape and deployment angle to prevent this from occurring.

Dealers and service centers will replace the center airbag with one of the new design free of charge. Vinfast initially pursued a direct-sales model like Tesla, with company-owned showrooms and service centers, but began pivoting to a franchised dealer model in late 2023.

Vinfast expects to mail owner notification letters Jan. 20, 2025. Owners can also call the automaker’s customer service department at 1-833-503-0600 for more information.

2023 Vinfast VF 8

The VF 8 is Vinfast’s first U.S.-market vehicle, but its launch hasn’t gone smoothly. An initial prototype drive indicated Vinfast had a long way to go, development-wise, before the electric SUV’s 2023 launch. And a follow-up test drive of the production version led us to warn that, even at that stage, it simply didn’t feel ready yet. But Vinfast’s first announced update was a Sony entertainment system that didn’t seem to address the VF 8’s core issues.

Things haven’t gone well for Vinfast since the launch of the VF 8. Earlier this year the company said it was falling behind with sales targets and delayed a planned North Carolina factory. Nonetheless, Vinfast is moving ahead with the launch of its three-row VF 9 SUV.

• EV sales are predicted to increase sixfold by 2030
• Demand for EVs and battery materials, could account for 95% of lithium supply
• Reuse, recycling, and alternative chemistries could take pressure off supply chains

Increased global demand for electric vehicles could tax supplies of raw materials by the end of the decade, according to new analysis from McKinsey & Company.

The firm estimates that EV sales will increase sixfold, from approximately 4.5 million vehicles globally in 2021 28 million in 2030. But analysts believe producers of raw materials may have trouble keeping up with this increased demand.

For example, while McKinsey anticipates increases in lithium supply from the widespread adoption of direct-extraction technology in mining, that will be in parallel with an increase in demand from battery suppliers. They account for 80% of global lithium use today but that could grow to 95% by 2030, McKinsey estimates.

Stack of Rivian battery cells

If demand for NMC-chemistry EV batteries continues to grow, as McKinsey expects, that could also potentially lead to a shortage of nickel despite anticipated increases in mining of that metal as well. in this case, the battery industry competes against the steel industry (which uses nickel to make stainless steel), with both sectors expected to consume more nickel through the end of the decade, McKinsey notes.

That’s assuming NMC continues as the dominant chemistry. McKinsey acknowledges increased interest in LFP chemistry, and notes that an uptick in LFP battery cell production could change the supply scenario.

So could cultivation of additional sources of raw materials as part of efforts by the European Union and U.S. to increase domestic battery production. Although the latter’s policies could be changed by the incoming Trump Administration, throwing away what could be a cost advantage over China on battery production.

Rivian Gen 2 battery pack

Several companies are also looking at reuse and recycling of battery materials, as well as further alternative chemistries beyond LFP, that could come into play at a small scale before the end of the decade, potentially taking some pressure off the main raw-material supply.

Analysis that paints a positive picture of battery raw-material demand—and perhaps those seeking investment—might not surprise those familiar with McKinsey’s work. Goldman Sachs, on the other hand, reported in November that EV battery prices could drop 50% by 2026 in part due to decreasing prices for raw materials like lithium and cobalt. So even among some big names in analysis and forecasting, there are some very different ideas of what path the future might take. 

• Complimentary NACS adapter will allow Supercharger access to CCS EVs
• Details coming early in 2025; Genesis also participating
• 2025 Ioniq 5 has NACS port, needs opposite adapter from CCS connector for max rate

Hyundai on Monday provided more information about when it will start providing adapters good for charging its EVs at Tesla Superchargers—and which Hyundai EVs are eligible for a free adapter. 

Drivers will be able to request a complimentary adapter, shipping included, starting in the first quarter of 2025, Hyundai said, with “details, instructions, and terms and conditions” all yet to be revealed. 

Those who own or lease a Hyundai EV by January 31, 2025—and currently have the vehicle—will be eligible to receive the NACS adapter. 

2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6

Especially of note is that Hyundai isn’t picking and choosing on eligibility; it’s essentially offering drivers of all of its U.S.-market EVs the adapter. Here’s the eligibility list:

Hyundai Kona Electric (model year 2018-2025)
Hyundai Ioniq Electric (MY 2017-2022)
Hyundai Ioniq 5 (MY 2022-2024)
Hyundai Ioniq 5 N (MY 2025)
Hyundai Ioniq 6 (MY 2023-2025)

Hyundai’s Genesis luxury brand is also included in the program, it said, with details set to be revealed in early 2025. 

It’s shaping up to be quite different than Hyundai’s Kia corporate cousin, which is only offering a NACS-to-CCS adapter only for EV6 and EV9 models delivered after September 4, 2024—just to the EV6 from the 2024 model year or the EV9 from the 2024 or 2025 model years. It’s skipping Niro EV buyers entirely in this and it’s not yet clear of the retail price of them to earlier buyers of models including the EV6. 

2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5

The fast-charge adapter dance: NACS-to-CCS, CCS-to-NACS

Kia, Hyundai, and Genesis also face an adapter issue in the other direction. Most of the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 lineup gets a native NACS port, and it’s the first mass-market, non-Tesla vehicle to do so. The only exception in that lineup is the Ioniq 5 N, which remains built in South Korea for at least this model year. And Hyundai has already confirmed that when it’s introduced later this year, the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 will also have a NACS port, not CCS. 

The 2025 Kia EV6, which is built on the same 800-volt E-GMP underpinnings, will also get a bigger battery pack for more range, plus a native NACS port and U.S. assembly. And the Alabama-made 2026 Genesis Electrified GV70 also gets a range boost and NACS port. 

2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9

As Hyundai has made clear, though, the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 9 will charge slower with NACS on the Tesla Supercharger network than with their CCS adapter, which is needed to tap into the Ioniq 5’s maximum rate and 20-minute 10-80% fast-charging stops. That’s not because of the vehicles but because of the Supercharger network, which is finally due to get upgraded V4 Cabinets in 2025 that will allow full-rate charging of 800-volt EVs like the Cybertruck and these from Hyundai. 

So for a time we all may be juggling a lot of adapters—all for the sake of consolidating on one, eventually. 

• 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 is first with native NACS port
• NACS Hyundai EVs might charge faster—for now—with a CCS adapter
• Most Tesla Superchargers can’t charge at 800v at peak rates
• V4 cabinets rolling out in 2025 will finally match CCS

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5, which ships to U.S. dealerships before the end of the year, is the first mass-market, non-Tesla vehicle that comes standard with the Tesla-based NACS charge port, as part of a standard now also known as J3400.

For Hyundai, it’s the first formal step in a shift away from the Combined Charging System (CCS) port that the Ioniq 5 and most non-Tesla modern EVs have had until now. 

The NACS rollout itself is also a bit different for Hyundai. While other brands are rolling out adapters for Tesla connectors before delivering vehicles with the port, Hyundai will deliver adapters for CCS fast-charging connectors after its new vehicles start getting a native NACS port.

In the meantime, Hyundai will be getting customers what they need to access the Tesla Supercharger network—in the form of a NACS adapter for CCS vehicles, that it announced Monday would be provided for free to owners of its full range of EVs from the current and previous model years, including the Kona Electric, Ioniq Electric, Ioniq 5, and Ioniq 6.

Now that full NACS specs on Tesla’s current Supercharger hardware have been revealed, it’s much easier to understand why Hyundai has done it in this order. For the time being, the Ioniq 5 charges significantly faster with its included CCS adapter than via NACS.

With the larger 84-kwh battery pack that will be included for much of the 2025 Ioniq 5 lineup (up from 77.4 kwh for 2024), the EV charges from 10-80% in just 20 minutes on a CCS connector, via its adapter. Meanwhile, it takes 30 minutes (50% longer) when a Tesla Supercharger NACS connector is plugged directly into the charge port, with no adapter of course. 

2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5

Adapter needed for the fastest 2025 Ioniq 5 charge

The reason for that is simple: Tesla Superchargers, up until now, aren’t able to deliver the voltage that Hyundai’s EVs built on its 800-volt E-GMP platform can accept. That’s due to change over the next few years, which we’ll get to, but in the meantime the “legacy” CCS chargers do it faster. 

Hyundai confirmed to Green Car Reports that 257 kw is the new peak charge rate for its 84-kwh battery pack (versus 235 kw for the former 77.4-kwh pack on Long Range versions), with the adapter and a 350-kw CCS connector. It specifically mentioned Electrify America as an example for where this maximum would be possible, and said there would be no fringe limitations of the adapter that might slow the charge rate beyond what a CCS connector would otherwise deliver. 

Hyundai Ioniq 5 charge times for NACS (Supercharger) vs. CCS

With the smaller 63-kwh battery pack included in the Standard Range models (up from 58 kwh for 2024), there’s not as much of a disparity, and official 10-80% times land at 20 minutes and 24 minutes with CCS/adapter and via Tesla Supercharger V3 hardware, respectively.

Level 2 AC charging rates aren’t affected by the adapter, and the Ioniq 5’s 10.9-kw onboard charger allows a 10-100% charge in as little as 7.3 hours with the 84-kwh battery pack or 5.7 hours with the 63-kwh pack. 

2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5

2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5

2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5

Speediest Ioniq 9 charge rate also relies on adapter

The automaker has released a similar comparison for its upcoming Ioniq 9 electric SUV, which will have a much larger 110.3-kwh battery pack and ship initially with the NACS port. With it and a CCS adapter the Ioniq 9 will charge from 10-80% in 24 minutes (with a peak of 233 kw), whereas it will take 38 minutes natively on NACS, using Tesla Supercharger V3 hardware. 

So in an ideal situation—certainly harder to come by with CCS than with Supercharger hardware—a CCS adapter could save 10-14 minutes with Hyundai’s 800-volt E-GMP EVs. 

Hyundai Ioniq 9 charge times for NACS (Supercharger) vs. CCS

In the coming months, the whole Ioniq 5 lineup is getting the NACS port—except for the high-performance Ioniq 5 N, which will stay Korean-built for now and keep offering its CCS port for this year, while the rest of the Ioniq 5 lineup is shifting to U.S. production. Hyundai has already announced that all U.S.-market Ioniq 5 models are due to be sourced from Georgia eventually. 

It hasn’t yet said exactly when the NACS port will arrive on Ioniq 6 electric sedans, but that’s also due for production at Hyundai’s so-called Metaplant America in Georgia. 

2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N

Hyundai is using its own charge ports and adapters, rather than buying them from Tesla, and it’s said that this will enable the full range of bidirectional capabilities of its latest E-GMP electric vehicles, including V2L to power accessories, camping gear, and more.

Supercharger access will come in the first quarter of 2025, but it will require that drivers initiate charging through the Tesla app initially rather than using Plug & Charge via Hyundai’s app and interface. 

Superchargers won’t lag for long

Tesla announced its V4 Supercharger hardware in 2022, and it made some first installations in 2023, but there’s been no widespread rollout as of yet. And although a number of locations have included the V4 post, including longer charge cords and upgraded connectors, the hardware behind it remained missing. 

On November 18, Tesla finally confirmed that the full V4 is on the way soon, with sites backed by actual V4 cabinets in permitting now and due to be opened in 2025. 

Tesla Supercharger V4 Cabinet upgrade set for 2025 (screencap)

Each V4 cabinet powers eight charging posts, versus four posts each for V3 cabinets, which Tesla notes means a reduction in the footprint of the hardware and the overall complexity—a factor that means more sites will come online faster. 

Tesla says that the V4 cabinet will be able to deliver up to 500 kw for cars and up to 1.2 megawatts for the Semi. It hasn’t said where exactly peak power will be for the Cybertruck, but it notes that this change will mean 30% faster charging for that model. That roughly corresponds to the peak power of 327 kw that multiple sources have reported for the Cybertruck when using CCS adapters (and tapping into its full 800-volt charging potential).

Charge rates for Tesla’s own Model 3 and Model Y, by the way, won’t change. 

2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 fast-charging – Lacey, WA

What it means: Look for the most convenient charger

In all, for Hyundai EVs, a time difference of 10-14 minutes likely won’t matter much in the scope of things—especially considering that Tesla Supercharger stations tend to be more reliable and tend to offer locations that are sometimes better-located along typical road-trip routes. 

That said, it’s pretty close to the difference that Hyundai owners face in whether to choose a 150-kw CCS connector directly on the way, or go slightly off-route for a 350-kw connector. As we’ve pointed out before, the vast majority of the time, 150-kw connectors will provide such a speedy charge on EVs like the Ioniq 5 or Ioniq 6, with relatively lean battery packs and long range from them, that you shouldn’t seek out 350-kw connectors. Just go with the more convenient location. 

But soon, with Tesla Supercharger cabinets and connectors at last able to deliver the voltage that EVs like the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, and Ioniq 9 can all take advantage of, finding a more convenient Tesla connector may no longer mean a longer charging stop. And with a push of infrastructure coming from Ionna, which is supported by Hyundai as well as six other automakers, there’ll be no shortage of high-power, high-voltage connectors, no matter which standard.