To the casual observer, it would be tough to recognize the new Genesis Electrified G80 as a fully battery-powered car. There’s no badging that says “electric” or “EV” on the outside. On the back, it merely says G80 and features the brand logo. But if you look closely, there’s no exhaust and the grill is solid. The interior is the same deal. Not much gives it away as an electric, except that the hard-to-see start-stop button doesn’t read “engine.” Rather, it’s embossed with “EV.”
As electric is fast becoming the new normal, the absence of delineation makes perfect sense. Genesis is planning on a fully electric lineup by 2030. The G80 will still be part of the team and a battery will be the only power available. After a day of whipping the G80 around the highways and byways of rural Arkansas and Missouri, the upshot is this: Just like it’s gas-burning sibling, the luxed up e-sedan is delightful to drive.
Power, Performance, and Range
In lieu of a V-6, the electrified G80 gets its power from a 523V, 87.2 kWh battery sending its juice to a pair of 136 kW electric motors—front and rear—for 365 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque.
The electrified G80 is remarkably similar in terms of performance to the brand’s gas-powered 2022 G80 3.5T Sport. Genesis officially clocks the battery-powered version at 4.9 seconds to 60. That’s respectably quick for an “executive sedan” weighing over 5,000 pounds. For comparison’s sake, the twin turbo V6 in the G80 Sport AWD has 375 horsepower, 391 pound-feet of torque and gets to 60 in 4.7 seconds.
Using a modified version of its M3 platform, Genesis was able to reduce the overall weight of the car by 11 percent while increasing the stiffness of the frame by 17 percent, thanks to the help of some aluminum and carbon fiber bits and bobs. But, as batteries are heavy, the electrified G80 is still 600 pounds weightier than the internal combustion-powered version.
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