Mean E-machine with colossal performance

Genesis electric drive by Steve Rogers

I am getting vibes that driving electric cars is going to make life very boring.

A couple of friends, neither of whom have driven an EV, predicted we would be moving like snails frightened of running out of power before finding a charging point. And then there was the ‘you can’t beat the thrill of a red hot hatch’ jibe.

My reply was ‘that’s the past’ and then said I have been driving a electric hatchbacks with acceleration to sixty only a second behind a Ferrari or McLaren supercar. The pace of these cars really is electrifying.

Like it or not we have to prepare ourselves for E Day in 2030 by which time the majority will already be driving EVs or hybrids. Car companies are going hell for leather building electric models for all tastes, and from the ordinary to the outrageous.

For the outrageous cast an eye over Genesis. For those not familiar with the brand, Genesis is the luxury arm of Hyundai and launched here early last year with a range of saloons and SUVs targeting premium players like Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar, Lexus, and not forgetting the rising star that is Volvo.

This year has been all about electric power for the G80 saloon and GV60, and this week saw the launch of the GV70 electric SUV which is predicted to be the best seller.

Realistically we are talking hundreds because the brand is still making its mark and cars are generally built to order in Korea with a waiting time is around five months.

The all wheel drive GV70 has an electric motor on each axle, together pumping out nearly 500bhp and an equally colossal 700Nm or torque. To cope with the power the chassis has been stiffened by 24 per cent over the petrol model.

Honestly, the performance is manic and if you are not satisfied with hitting 62mph in 4.8 seconds a boost button provides 10 seconds of increased power bringing the time down to 4.2 seconds. Going from 50-75mph using boost takes a frantic 2.5 seconds.

Drive like that all the time and it is unlikely you will get anywhere near the 283 mile electric range but you will have the satisfaction of sitting in one of the fastest electric cars in its class.

With a price tag of £78,090 you sit in the lap of luxury, pampered with top class materials but many buyers choose add-ons which can amount to another £11k.

GV70 can take a 350kWh charge which can top up the batteries to 80 per cent in 18 minutes. A similar range from a 50kWh post takes 73 minutes.

Although this was the big news of the day I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the electric GV60 Sport+, smaller and lighter but with the same power output and even quicker at FOUR seconds with the help of the boost button which is perfectly placed on the steering wheel as is the drive mode switch on the opposite side. The body styling is stunning and it is ditto inside with a futuristic layout.

An innovative feature are interior side cameras instead of door mirrors. They are a £1,240 extra but drivers need to experience them first because they take a bit of getting used to and can be a distraction with everything swishing by in the eyeline as well as offering no real perspective. I would give them a miss.

You pay a top price for top technology and premium features so £65,405 was no real surprise but I would be tempted to fork out £740 for the stunning lime green paint finish.

Even though Genesis is part of the Hyundai group there are no showrooms. Customers are given a virtual tour of the models at city centre studios before buying online with the help of a personal assistant who looks after the customer in a cradle to grave operation. After that it is five year warranty, servicing, courtesy car, road side assistance and map updates.

At the start studios were set up just in the south east, bosses believing this would be the only sales territory because of the high price of the cars, but they got a reality check with half the sales being scooped up throughout the rest of the country.

E-Day officially is 2030 but Genesis is not hanging around and want all their cars running on electric power by 2025. That is a strong message to the competition.