The neighbour becoming more interested in battery fare isn’t expected to see NZ lose special status with Seoul.

AUSTRALIA adopting the same electric car support legislation that has invigorated sale of new battery-pure product here won’t impinge on Kiwi’s to-date advantaged access to latest fare out of South Korea’s largest maker.

This from Hyundai New Zealand, which also asserts that its status as an independent, private operation in wholly New Zealand ownership won’t negatively impact if and when Seoul determines to elevate support and volume to the operation across the Tasman, which is factory-run.

Speaking yesterday during at a media event for the Ioniq 6 electric sedan, Hyundai New Zealand product planner Ross Wenzlick (above) reminded so far this country has been generally ahead of our neighbour in laying hands on latest Hyundai electric product.

It’s possible Australia, which in wake of its change of Government has adopted new pro-electric vehicle policies and could yet embrace the Clean Car Discount scheme that now guides Kiwi buying patterns, might catch up.

But he doubts it will elbow us aside to achieve priority.

“I think what they are doing will obviously create some urgency in their market; they might end up introducing some stuff at the same time as we do.

“New Zealand has so far been ahead in terms of (uptake of) low-emission and electric vehicles. That might change, but we feel like we are in good position.

“The good thing about New Zealand is that it is a good market to introduce this (latest product).”

The Clean Car programme has helped. “With our regulations, which are now changing again, there is quite a drive to introduce new electric products.”

It’s not just wholly battery cars. Hybrid product also provides a good example of NZ being at the forefront. “Vehicles like the Tucson and Kona hybrid. These are models Australia is not yet selling, but we are. So we are actually ahead in that regard.

“From the electric side of things, going back to 2017 with the original Ioniq, Australia did not launch that car until 18 months after we did.”

A sister ship, at technology rather than styling level, to the Ioniq 5 that has established strongly here, Ioniq 6 is just the first of a new wave of battery-involved product Hyundai has for New Zealand, and the second off the make’s landmark E-GMP platform.

It will soon add a new Kona, which again formats in petrol-engined hybrid and plug-in hybrid presentations as well as a fully electric car.

Next year, the E-GMP car choice will enlarge with the Ioniq 7 (above), a seven-seater sports utility that has yet to be seen in anything beyond a styling study – though subsidiary Kia has its version out in production form – and the Ioniq 5 N (below), the first electric car that is purpose-designed by its N performance tuning division. Also under wraps until next year, that flagship edition is ostensibly the equivalent of the Kia EV6 GT, already on sale here, but Hyundai insists theirs will be harder-edged.

Wenzlick says although NZ is one of Hyundai’s smaller markets, it has good standing and achievement to date with all product, but particularly electrics, has been acknowledged and understood.

Head office has kept the Auckland office as up to date as it can about future product developments.

“Obviously, they do tend to focus on the next immediate product … we know about Ioniq 7 and the N. But we also know about future Ioniq products beyond that.”

Hyundai NZ feels it is well positioned for whatever the future brings. The passenger side even has a hydrogen fuel cell ingredient, with the Nexo car, and it has taken that technology into the heavy vehicle sphere, with trials of a fuel cell Xcient truck now at a point where one began daily operation with the NZ Post fleet last week. It also has a fully-electric medium truck, the Mighty, in introdu