Hyundai debuts Ioniq 9 with swivel seats to turn your 3-row SUV into a lounge
Hyundai has officially debuted its Ioniq 9 in advance of the LA Auto Show, with a concept car-like interior that lets you swivel the 2nd row seats and turn your car into a living room.
We’ve been hearing about the Ioniq 9 for some time now, and the time has finally come for its release.
In an event in advance of the LA Auto Show, starting this Friday and with a media preview day tomorrow (which Electrek will be in attendance for), Hyundai showed off the Ioniq 9 which will officially be unveiled at the Auto Show (you can watch via livestream) on the morning of Nov 21st.
The car is what we expected – a large, 3-row SUV, much like the EV9, the Ioniq 9’s cousin that is built on the same platform by Hyundai’s sister company, Kia.
But it also has some features we didn’t expect – like a little more clarity on that “lounge-like” interior we heard about, which turns out not to just be marketing fluff at all. It actually is like a lounge, complete with la-z-boy style footrests and swiveling seats so you can face your friends. More on that in a bit.
The Ioniq 9 comes with a perhaps excessively-large 110.3kWh battery (that extra 300Wh makes a big difference), offering up to 335 miles of range on the Long-Range RWD model with 19-inch wheels. 20- and 21-inch wheels are also available, we imagine with lower ranges.
The large battery will retain the E-GMP platform’s excellent DC charging performance, with the ability to charge from 10-80% in 24 minutes, assuming you’re connected to a capable charger (Hyundai says 350kW “under optimal conditions”).
The Long-Range model will have a 160kW (215hp) rear motor, and an additional 70kW (94hp) front motor if you get the AWD model. Performance AWD will be available with 160kW motors on both axles.
The long range RWD model will do 0-100km/h (0-62mph) in 9.4 seconds, AWD in 6.7 seconds, and Performance AWD in 5.2 seconds (or, if you prefer 0-60, the Performance model can do it in 4.9).
The vehicle is large, as you’d expect out of a 3-row SUV, at 5,060mm (199.2in) long, 1,980mm (78in) wide and 1,790mm (70.5in) high. This is 2 inches longer than its sister car the EV9, and 1 inch less long than the Rivian R1S.
Exterior design keeps some of the design language of the (excellent) Ioniq 5, but larger and more rounded-off. In particular, it keeps some of the dot-matrix/pixel aesthetic of the lights.
I have to say I don’t love the roundedness of it – the design of the Ioniq 5 feels extremely consistent with a lot of straight lines throughout, whereas the rounded hood and extended rear end of the 9 spoil that consistency to some extent (and speaking of the rear… it almost seems a little hearse-like, to me).
Incidentally, with the Ioniq 5 and EV6, one is more boxy and the other is more rounded – and the same thing has happened with the Ioniq 9 and EV9, only in reverse. The Ioniq 9 is more rounded and the EV9 is more boxy. So, once again, these two similar vehicles have differentiated themselves enough that we expect the market will be split, with many customers liking one and disliking the other, meaning little cannibalization between the two.
The interior seems incredibly spacious, though so far we haven’t had a chance to experience it ourselves. Most 3-row SUVs in this size class do have somewhat cramped third rows, so we’re curious if Hyundai has managed to do some sort of magic in that respect.
And in addition to rear and frunk storage (with a frunk capable of holding 88L in RWD and 52L in AWD models), the center console offers a large amount of storage inside (18.2L, split between an upper and lower tray), and can be slid back and forth to allow easier movement between front or rear seats.
And speaking of magic, Hyundai has actually done something new here – an interior with swiveling middle seats, to turn the car into a lounge.
We’ve seen similar interiors on countless concept cars, but understandably they never make it to production. It’s definitely an attention-grabbing feature, but who really uses their vehicles like that?
Well, Hyundai thinks that people will, so it’s offered swiveling 2nd-row seats to allow for this. However, it says that these seats will be available “in selected markets only,” and it has declined to say exactly which markets those are yet. We also imagine this will only apply to the 6-seat configuration, rather than 7-seat.
The seats don’t just swivel though, they also recline and have a leg rest. Hyundai is calling these its “Relaxation Seats,” and the first and second row seats will both be capable of this feat. It says this will be particularly useful for people who want to get comfortable during vehicle charging (though, on an optimal 350kW charger, 24 minutes is hardly much time for a nap).
And that charging will be accomplished via a NACS port – making this, we think, the first non-Tesla vehicle to debut and be sold with only a NACS port at any time in the model’s existence. Other E-GMP vehicles are switching over to NACS, but the Ioniq 5 for example has been out for many years now, so there are lots of CCS Ioniq 5s out there, but that won’t be the case for the Ioniq 9.
Like other E-GMP vehicles, it will be able to discharge the battery via vehicle-to-load (V2L) to power devices, though we didn’t get clarity on how much total output it will have. Other E-GMP cars usually top out around 1.8kW, so enough to run some regular outlets, but not enough to power a house.
The Hyundai Ioniq 9 will be available in Korea and the US in the first half of 2025, and then will come to Europe and other markets later. The US version will be built at Hyundai’s plant in Georgia – another example of a car brought to the US by the domestic sourcing provisions of President Biden’s EV push (and which could be put into Jeopardy if Dumb & Dumber get their way in attempting to kill this boon for US manufacturing).
We don’t have pricing or all tech specs yet, so stay tuned as there’s still more to come.
Also, you can watch the official debut livestream over at Hyundai’s website, starting at 9:10am PST November 21st. And Electrek will be at the LA Auto Show to ask around and see if we can get any lingering questions answered.
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Tesla has quietly removed the Cybertruck’s range extender from the options in its online configurator.
Does Tesla still plan to bring the product to market?
When Tesla unveiled the production version of the Cybertruck in late 2023, there were two main disappointments: the price and the range.
The tri-motor version, which was the most popular in reservation tallies, was supposed to have over 500 miles of range and start at $70,000.
Tesla now sells the tri-motor Cybertruck for $100,000 and only has a range of 320 miles.
As for the dual-motor Cybertruck, it was supposed to cost $50,000 and have over 300 miles of range. The reality is that it starts at $80,000, and it has 325 miles of range.
However, Tesla had devised a solution to bring the range closer to what it originally announced: a separate battery pack that sits in the truck’s bed. Tesla called it a “range extender.” It costs $16,000 and takes up a third of the Cybertruck’s bed.
Even though the Cybertruck has been in production for a year and a half at this point, the range extender has yet to launch.
Initially, Tesla said that it would come “early 2025”, but we reported that it was pushed to “mid-2025” late last year.
At the time, Tesla also reduced the range that the removable battery pack adds to the Cybertruck to “445+ miles” rather than “470+ miles” for the dual motor – a ~25-mile reduction in range.
Now, Tesla has removed the option from its online Cybertruck configurator. It used to take reservations for the range extender with a “$2,000 non-refundable deposit”, as seen on the image above, but now it’s not in the configurator at all at the time of writing.
It’s unclear if Tesla is not planning to launch the product anymore or if it is just pausing reservations.
In its specs page, Tesla still lists the achievable range of both versions of the Cybertruck with and without the range extender battery:
Electrek’s Take
I’m curious. Is it dead, or does Tesla just want to stop taking reservations for it?
At first, I was curious about the product even though I didn’t think it would make up for Tesla’s significant miss on Cybertruck specs.
However, after it was confirmed that it takes up 30% of your bed and that it needs to be installed and removed by Tesla at a service center, I think it’s pretty much dead on arrival at $16,000.
It’s going to be a product limited to only a few people at best. And now that’s if it makes it to market.
With the option being removed from the configurator, there’s no production timeline available. Again, the last one was “mid-2025”, which is soon.
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Environment
EcoFlow members can save up to 65% on power stations while supporting disaster relief during the 2025 Member’s Festival
Portable power station specialist EcoFlow is kicking off its third annual Member’s Festival this month and is offering a unique new rewards program to those who become EcoFlow members. The 2025 EcoFlow Member’s Festival will offer savings of up to 65% for its participating customers, and a portion of those funds will be allocated toward rescue power solutions for communities around the globe through the company’s “Power for All” fund.
EcoFlow remains one of the industry leaders in portable power solutions and continues to trek forward in its vision to power a new tech-driven, eco-conscious future. Per its website:
Our mission from day one is to provide smart and eco-friendly energy solutions for individuals, families, and society at large. We are, were, and will continue to be a reliable and trusted energy companion for users around the world.
To achieve such goals, EcoFlow has continued to expand its portfolio of sustainable energy solutions to its community members, including portable power stations, solar generators, and mountable solar panels. While EcoFlow is doing plenty to support its growing customer base, it has expanded its reach by giving back to disaster-affected communities by helping bolster global disaster response efforts the best way it knows how– with portable power solutions.
EcoFlow and its members look to provide “Power for All”
Since 2023, EcoFlow has collaborated with organizations worldwide as part of its “Power for All” mission. This initiative aims to ensure access to reliable and timely power to disaster-affected communities across the globe, including rescue agencies, affected hospitals, and shelters, to support rescue and recovery efforts.
This fund most recently provided aid for communities affected by the recent Los Angeles wildfires, assistance to the Special Forces Charitable Trust (SFCT) in North Carolina following severe hurricanes, and support for non-profits engaged in hurricane preparedness in Florida and the Gulf Coast. Per Jodi Burns, CEO of the Special Forces Charitable Trust:
In the wake of devastating storms in Western North Carolina, reliable power was a critical need for the families we serve. Thanks to EcoFlow’s generous donation of generators, we were able to provide immediate relief, ensuring these families and their communities had access to power when they needed it most. We are so impressed with EcoFlow’s commitment to disaster response through their ‘Power for All’ program. It has made a tangible impact, and we are deeply grateful for their support and partnership in helping these families recover and rebuild.
In 2024, the US experienced 27 weather and climate events, each causing losses exceeding $1 billion, marking the second-highest annual total on record, according to National Centers for Environmental Information. The increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters underscore the critical need for reliable and timely power solutions during emergencies, much like EcoFlow and its members are helping provide through the “Power For All” initiative.
To support new and existing EcoFlow members, the company is celebrating its third annual Member’s Festival throughout April to offer a do-not-miss discount on its products and donate a portion of all sales to the “Power for All” fund to provide rescue power to those in need in the future. Learn how it all works below.
Save big and give back during the 2025 Member’s Festival
As of April 1st, you can now sign up to become an EcoFlow member to participate in the company’s exclusive 2025 Member Festival.
As a member, you can earn “EcoFlow Power Points” by completing tasks like registration, referrals, and product purchases and tracking your individual efforts toward disaster preparedness and recovery.
Beginning April 4, EcoFlow members will also be able to take advantage of exclusive discounts of up to 65% off select portable power stations, including the DELTA Pro Ultra, DELTA Pro 3, DELTA 2 Max, DELTA 3 Plus, RIVER 3 Plus, and more. However, these sale prices only last through April 25, so you’ll want to move quickly!
Click here to learn more about EcoFlow’s “Power for All” campaign. To register for EcoFlow’s 2025 Member Festival in the US, visit the EcoFlow website. To register as a member in Canada, visit here.
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Tesla is losing another top talent: its long-time head of software, David Lau, has reportedly told co-workers that he is exiting the automaker.
Tesla changed how the entire auto industry looks at software.
Before Tesla, it was an afterthought; user interfaces were rudimentary, and you had to go to a dealership to get a software update on your systems.
When Tesla launched the Model S in 2012, it all changed. Your car would get better through software updates like your phone, the large center display was responsive with a UI that actually made sense and was closer to an iPad experience than a car.
Tesla also integrated its software into its retail experience, service, and manufacturing.
David Lau deserves a lot of the credit for that.
He joined Tesla in 2012 as a senior manager of firmware engineering and quickly rose through the ranks. By 2014, he was promoted to director of firmware engineering and system integration, and in 2017, he became Vice President of software.
Lau listed the responsibilities of his team on his LinkedIn:
- Vehicle Software:
- Firmware for the powertrain, traction/stability control, HV electronics, battery management, and body control systems
- UI software and underlying Embedded Linux platforms
- Navigation and routing
- iOS and Android Mobile apps
- Distributed Systems:
- Server-side software and infrastructure that provides telemetry, diagnostics, over-the-air updates, and configuration/lifecycle management
- Data engineering and analytics platforms that power technical and business insights for an increasingly diverse set of customers across the company
- Diagnostic tools and fleet management, Manufacturing and Automation:
- Automation controls (PLC, robot)
- Server-side manufacturing execution systems that power all of Tesla’s production operations
- Product Security and Red Team for software, services, and systems across Tesla
Bloomberg reported today that Lau told his team he is leaving Tesla. The report didn’t include reasons for his stepping down.
Electrek’s Take
Twelve years at any company is a great run. At Tesla, it’s heroic. Congrats, David, on a great run. You undoubtedly had a significant impact on Tesla and software advancements in the broader auto industry.
He is another significant loss for Tesla, which has been losing a lot of top talent following a big wave of layoffs around this time last year.
I wonder who will take over. Michael Rizkalla, senior director of software engineering and vehicle firmware, is one of the most senior software engineers after Lau. He has been at Tesla for 7 years, and Tesla likes to promote within rather than hire outsiders.
There are also a lot of senior software execs working on AI at Tesla. Musk has been favoring them lately and he could fold Lau’s responsibilities under them.
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