Hyundai launches high-end Genesis electric vehicle

SEOUL, July 9 (UPI) -- South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor has launched the first electric model of its luxury Genesis.

The G80 EV can travel up to 265 miles on a single charge. The all-wheel-drive sedan can produce up to 370 horsepower and sprint to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds, according to Hyundai.

The announcement Wednesday is Hyundai's latest effort to have a presence in the electric vehicle market. The company also makes the Ioniq 5, and its sister firm Kia offers the EV6.

Genesis also plans to introduce the GV60 electric crossover, which is built on a dedicated platform applied to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Kia EV6.

"With fast-charging 350 KW, it took only 22 minutes to charge the G80 EV from 10 percent to 80 percent," Hyundai said in a statement. "Its buyers can opt to adopt such functions as V2L or a solar roof."

Short for vehicle to load, V2L enables motorists to take advantage of the automobile's electric power to use household appliances. A solar roof is designed to harvest the sun's power to enhance the efficiency of the electric car.

The electric variant of G80 is priced at $72,240 in Korea before government subsidies. A Hyundai official said that it has yet to decide when the model will hit the U.S. market and what its price would be.

"The G80 EV is an independent model, which does not use the tried-and-tested platform for the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Kia EV6," Daelim University automotive professor Kim Pil-soo told UPI News Korea. "Hence, it remains to be seen how the G80 EV will be accepted in the market."

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor may see its employees go on a strike for the first time in three years as a vast majority of its unionists voted for a walkout on Wednesday.

Up to 88.7 percent of unionists cast a ballot, and among them, 83.2 percent voted in favor of a strike. Hyundai's union has requested that the company give 30 percent of its profits to employees as a bonus and extend the retirement age from 60 to 64.

This does not lead to an immediate strike as the unionists have to go through necessary procedures, including consultation with a government committee.

Hyundai employees strike almost every year, but they managed to reach a settlement with the management in 2019 and 2020 without labor disputes.