Genesis G80 electric Test: Suitable for travelling, thanks to fast charging.

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The world is becoming more confusing, even for us car writers. A few years ago, for example, the range of plug-in hybrids was quickly determined in its staggering brevity. With electric cars, it usually didn't matter which of the rare DC charging stations you headed for: at the latest at a 150-kW station, the e-tester could be absolutely sure that the station could deliver more than his mobile could handle. Those days are over. The Genesis was not exhausted even at a 175 kW station. If you want to exploit the full potential of the G80 electric, you need more.

Peak power - only half the truth

Of course, I already knew what was coming. Clemens had a picture in his Kia EV6 test that showed a charging power of 224 kW with an SoC of 58 percent. Some manufacturers now deliver high peak power, but they are learning that this raises customer expectations that are quickly disappointed when the charging power drops again from a level of 30 percent. So there is a certain justification for Mercedes not being able to shine with high peak power in the EQA, but keeping the maximum charging power high over a wide window.

Continuous output

The Hyundai Group, to which the Genesis brand also belongs, is taking a different approach. The voltage level of 800 volts enables a high charging power without having to increase the number of amps. It is not surprising that this results in a very high charging capacity with the appropriate charging infrastructure. What is more astonishing is how long the Genesis can maintain an enormous speed. In the first test at the 175 kW charging station, there was no slackening until a SoC of 79 per cent, only then did it start to drop off slightly. To put this into perspective for those who don't handle such figures very often: Most other electric cars are already in the mid-range of double-digit charging power. The G80 electric only fell below the 100-kW limit at 85  percent.

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Genesis G80 electric Technology (7 Bilder)

Waiting for hours at the charging station: a thing of the past

After 20 minutes, 56 kWh had already been recharged at the 175 kW station, and 60 at the 300 kW station. Genesis states a maximum charging power of 187 kW; in the test, we achieved up to 181 kW. This should finally remove the basis for argumentation from those who still talk about waiting for hours at the charging stations. Those days are over, although the figures have to be classified. The Genesis achieved its charging performance when the battery was warm; in winter, this string reaches its limits much earlier. In December 2021, we had a Kia EV6 in the editorial office that did not accept more than 79 kW at temperatures around zero degrees, even after 35 km overland. A recipe against this: Before charging, torment the battery with high currents - preferably in both directions, i.e. accelerate and recuperate diligently.

Genesis installs one electric motor at the front and one at the rear, each with 136 kW. The G80 electric is therefore capable of accelerating at any time. It's supposed to stop at 225 km/h, but I haven't tried it out. More impressive to me than the 4.9 seconds in the standard sprint are the 3.2 seconds that Genesis quotes for the sprint from 80 to 120 km/h. The sedan offers performance like no other. The sedan offers performance like a sports car. As is so often the case with this electric car, I think that many drivers would be fully satisfied with considerably less. In any case, the potential can rarely be fully exploited.

Suitable for travelling

In the G80 electric, the combination of moderate consumption, high charging power and an 87.2 kWh battery results in a travel capability that is hardly inferior to a car with an internal combustion engine. Consumption was between 16.8 and 23 kWh/100 km. We averaged 18.7, the long-term counter of the on-board computer showed 20.8 kWh/100 km at the handover. At target speed, ranges of 400 km plus x were no problem, 300 more were recharged within a few minutes. So this kind of argument against battery-electric propulsion is beginning to run out of steam, at least in this segment. Because the Genesis is not a car for everyone, even the basic model costs almost 70,000 euros.

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Genesis G80 electric Interior (13 Bilder)

Feudal interior

For this sum, the customer can expect a lot, and Genesis delivers in many areas. It starts with the almost feudal choice of materials in the interior, which has few rivals in this form. The interior of the G80 is luxurious and impeccably finished. On the road, one notices how carefully the car is insulated. The virtual absence of drivetrain noise means that others come to the fore, but Genesis effectively screens out both tyre rolling noise and wind noise. It remains pleasantly quiet even on the motorway.

The suspension is sometimes a little too harsh, which is only noticeable if you know the best in the segment. Then it also becomes clear that the G80 will not set any new records for cornering despite its slightly taut damper design - for a sedan of this format, I consider that a forgivable sin.