Hyundai launches lower-priced IONIQ 5, IONIQ 6, and Kona Electric in Korea
Hyundai’s electric vehicles are becoming more affordable in Korea. Hyundai unveiled new E-Value + trims for the IONIQ 5, IONIQ 6, and Kona EVs in its home market. The cheaper Hyundai EVs use the same battery as the standard models and start at around $22,500 with incentives. Will the new models make their way to the US?
Hyundai rolls out cheaper EVs in its home market
“We have prepared a practical trim that will expand the range of choices and lower the barrier to purchasing an electric vehicle,” a Hyundai spokesperson said.
Hyundai launched the new entry-level E-Value models to support the transition to electric vehicles (EVs). Despite the lower cost, Hyundai said the cheaper EVs will be powered by the same battery as its standard models.
The new E-Value IONIQ 5 gets up to 229 miles (368 km) range in Korea, while the IONIQ 6 and Kona Electric are rated at 228 miles (367 km) and 193 miles (311 km), respectively.
According to Hyundai, some specifications have been “slimmed down” to enable more affordable prices.
The starting price for the Kona Electric E-Value trim is $31,000 (41.42 million won), while the lower-priced IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6 models start at $35,200 (47 million won) and $35,190 (46.95 million won), respectively.
Hyundai said with government incentives, the actual purchase price is expected to be in the $22,500 (30 million won) range.
Will they make it to the US?
The news comes after Hyundai broke total and retail US sales records in August. As one of, if not the most important market for Hyundai, the company is heavily invested in the US.
Hyundai’s massive $7.6 billion Metaplant America (HMGMA) will open its doors later this year. The first model to roll off the production line will be Hyundai’s updated 2025 IONIQ 5 with more range and a bold new face.
The 2025 IONIQ 5 will be the first Hyundai EV with a Tesla NACS port. It’s also gaining a rugged new XRT variant. The new off-road trim is designed for those “who want to play in the dirt and have all-electric adventures,” according to Hyundai Design North America’s senior manager of exteriors, Brian Arnold.
With a bigger, more efficient battery, the 2025 IONIQ 5 is expected to get over 310 miles range, up from 303 miles with the current model.
Ahead of the new model arriving at dealerships this fall, Hyundai’s IONIQ 5 set a new August sales record. With another 4,838 models sold in the US last month, Hyundai IONIQ 5 sales reached nearly 27,000 through the first eight months of the year, up 26% from 2023.
Hyundai will also unveil its first three-row electric SUV, the IONIQ 9, later this year. Ahead of its official debut, the IONIQ 9 was spotted in California as it finalized testing (see the video here).
Will Hyundai launch cheaper trims for EVs in the US? With US production starting later this year, it’s a possibility. But then again, Hyundai already has some of the most affordable EVs on the market.
The 2025 Hyundai Kona Electric starts at $32,675, while the 2024 IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6 models start at $41,800 and $37,500, respectively. Hyundai is also passing the $7,500 tax credit on through leasing, dropping prices even lower.
According to Kelley Blue Book, the average transaction price (ATP) for a new vehicle in the US was $48,644 in June.
Ready to see why Hyundai’s EVs are taking the US by storm? We can help you get started today. Check out our links below to view deals on Hyundai’s electric vehicles near you.
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Electricity demand is surging in Texas, and solar, wind, and battery storage are meeting it.
According to new data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), electricity demand across the Texas grid managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) hit record highs in the first nine months of 2025. ERCOT, which supplies power to about 90% of the state, saw demand jump 5% year-over-year to 372 terawatt hours (TWh) – a 23% increase since 2021. No other major US grid has grown faster over the past year.
Solar and wind keep ERCOT’s grid steady
The biggest growth story in Texas power generation is solar. Utility-scale solar plants produced 45 TWh from January through September, up 50% from 2024 and nearly four times what they generated in 2021 (11 TWh). Wind power also continued to climb, producing 87 TWh through September – a 4% increase from last year and 36% more than in 2021.
Together, wind and solar supplied 36% of ERCOT’s total electricity over those nine months. Solar, in particular, has transformed Texas’s daytime energy mix. From June to September, ERCOT solar farms generated an average of 24 gigawatts (GW) between noon and 1 pm – double the midday output from 2023. That growth has pushed down natural gas use at midday from 50% of the mix in 2023 to 37% this year.
Battery storage is filling in the gaps
Batteries charge during the day when wind and solar generation are the highest, and they produce electricity when generation from wind and solar slows down. ERCOT began reporting battery output separately in October 2024 in its hourly grid data, and it’s clear that batteries are now helping to smooth out evening peaks. This past summer, batteries supplied an average of 4 GW of power around 8 pm, right as solar production dropped off.
Natural gas is flatlining
Natural gas is still Texas’s dominant power source, but it isn’t growing like it used to. Between January and September, gas-fired plants generated 158 TWh of electricity, compared to 161 TWh in 2023. Gas comprised 43% of ERCOT’s generation mix during the first nine months of 2025, down from 47% in the first nine months of 2023 and 2024.
More demand growth ahead
The EIA expects Texas electricity demand to keep rising faster than any other grid in the US. In its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, the EIA projects ERCOT’s demand will climb another 14% in the first nine months of 2026, reaching 425 TWh. That means Texas will need even more solar, wind, and battery storage to keep up with its breakneck growth.
Read more: This $900 million solar farm in Texas is going 100% to data centers
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GM is recalling nearly 23,000 Chevy Equinox EV and Cadillac Optiq models due to a defect where the tire tread could fall off.
GM is recalling more Chevy Equinox EV models
In a letter sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), GM said it has decided to issue a safety recall for certain Chevy Equinox EV and Cadillac Optiq models from model years 2025 to 2026.
This time, it isn’t necessarily GM’s fault. The vehicles may be equipped with 21″ all-season tires that Continental Tire is recalling.
According to Continental, the tires were produced during the week of October 6, 2024, and may have a defect where the tire tread could partially or fully detach. The records show the defect is due to a nonconforming tread base rubber compound.
Owners of affected vehicles may notice unusual tread wear or bulging, vibration while driving, or tire noises. GM is unaware of any incidents related to the defect, but is issuing the recall out of an abundance of caution.
On September 18, 2025, GM inspected the assembly plant and confirmed there were no suspect tires in stock. The 21″ tires come standard on RS trims and are optional on LT1 and LT2 grades.
Although GM is recalling 22,914 Chevy Equinox EVs and Cadillac Optiqs, it estimates that only about 1% of them have the defect.
The recall includes:
- 2026 Cadillac Optiq: 214
- 2026 Chevy Equinox EV: 1,832
- 2025 Cadillac Optiq: 3,468
- 2025 Chevy Equinox EV: 17,400
GM dealers will check all four tires and replace them if needed, free of charge. Dealers were notified on October 16. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed out on December 1, 2025.
You can contact Chevrolet’s customer service number at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac’s at 1-800-333-4223. GM’s recall number is N252525030. Owners can also call the NHTSA hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit the nhtsa.gov website for more information.
The Chevy Equinox EV is now the third best-selling EV in the US, trailing only the Tesla Model Y and Model 3. Meanwhile, Cadillac’s entry-level Optiq SUV is the fifth-most-popular luxury EV. The recall is minor and only affects a small percentage of models, so it’s not expected to have a major impact.
If you want to test one of them for yourself, we can help you get started. Check out our links below to find available Chevy Equinox EV and Cadillac Optiq models near you.
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Tesla’s earnings madness, Rivian layoffs, Ford pausing F-150 Lightning, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.
Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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