Jonathan Gitlin
Recently Ars tested the new Genesis GV60, a sharp little electric crossover. Although that car was Genesis’ first EV to use the new E-GMP platform, it’s technically the brand’s second EV. That’s because there’s also a fully battery-electric version of the Genesis G80 sedan. Called the G80 Electrified, it was first shown in Shanghai last year but has now arrived on these shores.
The company introduced the internal combustion engine-powered G80 in 2020, and it’s a competent take on the midsize luxury sedan. But the platform (known internally as M3) was designed to support both combustion and electric powertrains—few automakers today can afford the expense of engineering an entirely new ICE-only architecture, given impending regulations around the world.
As you might expect, the G80 Electrified shares a lot of the same EV technology as the GV60, which impressed us. It’s a bigger, more expensive car—$79,825 plus destination fees—but manages to be even more efficient and luxurious in the process.
If you detect a somewhat Bentley-ish look to the G80, you’re not alone—a side effect of some of the British brand’s design team moving to South Korea a while ago. Genesis’ distinctive “two lines” design element is present and correct, with the turn signals extending to the far side of the front wheel arches, and then picking up again at the rear of the car as its tail lights. As an EV, the Electrified variant has less need for cooling, so instead of a big, open grille, the panel is blanked in with diamond plate—no doubt this helps the G80 Electrified reach a drag coefficient of just 0.26.
Jonathan Gitlin
If you lift the hood, you’ll discover where the engineers hid much of the electric powertrain. There’s no storage frunk here, but rather the power electronics and ancillaries. A consequence of locating the car’s power electronics up front is the presence of the charging port in the nose, which both saves weight in terms of cabling inside the car and also makes things pretty simple when it’s time to charge.
There’s only one powertrain configuration for the G80 Electrified at this time, which combines a pair of 182-hp (136-kW) permanent magnet electric motors, one for each axle. Combined power output is a maximum of 365 hp (272 kW) and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm), powered by an 87.2 kWh (gross) capacity lithium-ion battery pack. That’s sufficient for a range of at least 282 miles, according to the EPA (453 km).
Like the E-GMP EVs, the G80 Electrified also operates at 800 V, which allows it to charge from 10 to 80 percent in just 22 minutes on a suitable DC fast charger. Buyers get three years of unlimited 30-minute charging sessions at Electrify America stations. Based on my testing, the car uses plug-and-charge, so it’s simply a case of opening the charge door, plugging the car in, and then remembering to come back half an hour later. Meanwhile, an AC charge at 240 V and 48 A should completely recharge the pack in 7 hours and 22 minutes, Genesis says.
