Following its U.S. debut in 2016, Genesis Motor, the luxury division of Hyundai Motor, struggled to gain brand recognition as a premium nameplate among American vehicle shoppers.
But Genesis is now capitalizing on U.S. consumers’ thirst for larger, high-riding crossovers with two stylish, well-appointed and tech-forward crossovers — the GV70 and GV80.
That newfound cachet will help Genesis make an even more radical transition at a time when stringent government policies, concern for the environment and rising gasoline prices put electric vehicles in the spotlight, and as automakers are promising all-electric lineups by the end of the decade.
The young brand is going all-electric.
“Starting in 2025, the only vehicles we launch will be EVs,” Claudia Marquez, Genesis’ COO told Automotive News. “Our goal is to achieve 100 percent electrification by 2030.”
Marquez said the transformation was part of the brand’s DNA from the beginning.
“It’s important to know that Genesis was consistent and planned,” she said. “Everything is aligned to that plan.”
Genesis will launch its first dedicated EV, the GV60 compact crossover this month.
An electric version of its G80 midsize sedan, the Electrified G80, will go on sale in the coming weeks. The Electrified GV70 compact crossover will start production in December at Hyundai’s factory in Montgomery, Ala., and deliveries will start in early 2023.
Also on Genesis’ EV road map is the launch of two more crossovers. It also will have one more electric sedan, for a total of six all-electric models. Genesis has not said whether the models will be dedicated EVs or retrofitted to the existing gasoline-powered models.
Jose Muñoz, global COO of Hyundai Motor Co., told Automotive News this month that Genesis’ transition will be vital to the automaker’s target of converting half of its U.S. sales to electric vehicles by 2030.
Said Muñoz: “Genesis is a key cornerstone in our electrification strategy.”