The Hyundai Ioniq 5 boasts an extremely long range. But it also cost a lot of money to replace the battery.
A Hyundai Ioniq 5 from South Korea has now clocked up 666,000 kilometers on the road – and it is probably the Ioniq 5 in the world that has driven the longest. The car is only a little over three years old and on average drives 600 kilometers every single day.
It sounds like something that should have sent the electric car to the repair shop quite a few times. But in fact, the car has been surprisingly stable. With a few – but costly – exceptions.
The high-voltage battery was replaced when the odometer reached 580,000 kilometers.
According to the owner, the replacement took place at Hyundai's development center in Namyang, and it was done at the manufacturer's expense.
Hyundai usually has a warranty on the battery, which is ten years or 160,000 kilometers. Therefore, it is unusual that the owner received a new battery at no charge.
But Hyundai may have wanted to investigate the battery and at the same time saw an opportunity to get good publicity out of the car with its impressive mileage.
Replacing the battery on the Hyundai Ioniq 5
If the replacement had been done without warranty, it could have cost a lot of money. In the US, the price of a new battery pack for an Ioniq 5 runs up to around $15,000-20,000 – equivalent to 105,000-140,000 Danish kroner.
The car has also experienced issues with its Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU), meaning it can no longer charge via alternating current (AC). Only fast charging works – which according to the owner has also been the preferred method most of the time.
In addition, regular maintenance such as differential oil and brake fluid have been replaced regularly. And once the car went into “limp mode” – an emergency program – but quickly got going again.
The owner states that he usually charges the car to 100% via DC fast chargers and does so frequently. Yet the battery has held up surprisingly well.
The car has been used far more than normal. In comparison, the average Dane drives about 15,000 kilometers per year. At that rate, it would take over 40 years to reach 666,000 kilometers.
Although the car's high mileage and few real faults sound promising, there is an important caveat: The battery replacement was free – and it is not certain that everyone will receive the same treatment. The owner in South Korea was either lucky or part of a PR stunt.
Therefore, it is worth noting what a battery replacement costs without a warranty – especially when buying a used electric car.
Hyundai has proven with this example that the Ioniq 5 can withstand massive daily use. But that requires either a warranty that covers the most important things – or a financial buffer if something goes wrong. Conversely, it is the same with all other types of cars.
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