Adventures With An Electrified Genesis.
Driving an electric vehicle apparently isn’t for everyone, despite the government’s rulemaking and tax incentives. Automakers who a few months ago were all in are now hedging their bets since EV inventories are piling up on their dealers lots. Higher purchase price and insurance costs are part of the problem, but range and charger availability on the road contribute to this consumer hesitation.
Our G80 Electrified press loan car was delivered to us in Ft Lauderdale for the drive back to Amelia Island. Although most vehicle tests stay in and around our little island, it’s helpful to take a road trip and check out the charging infrastructure along with the car’s performance. Some previous over-the-road EV trips have enjoyed their share of drama, like looking for charging stations that worked or were not occupied. So I had my heart set on driving up to Daytona Beach and stopping for a late lunch while we recharged. The official range specification for the Genesis G80 is 282-miles and Daytona Beach was just 241-miles up 95, so it looked like a plan. But the Genesis had been driven up 38-miles from Doral and showed 242-miles of range remaining. Although that sounded good to me, my lovely wife Kathleen wasn’t so sure, but she’s a good sport.
Two hundred miles later, as we reached about 20 or so miles from our charger and lunch destination, the remaining range didn’t add up. But I was sure we could find a closer charging station if necessary using the smart Genesis interface system. And besides, colleagues of mine have intentionally tried to run a new EV to full discharge, a bad idea for owners to attempt, and found that “empty” is a rather subjective term. So about eight miles from our exit and after repeated warnings from the instrument panel, the zero had arrived with a bell and the car powered back to 60 MPH. We made our exit and the drive to Florida Power & Light’s twelve empty level-three, high speed chargers across from Daytona Speedway was accompanied by the Genesis system urging me to make a U-turn. Obviously, the robust charging lot hadn’t found its way into the G80’s interface.
After hooking up to an FPL fast charger, we took a short stroll to lunch at Rock Bottom Brewery and when we finished, the Genesis was fully charged and ready to complete the journey home. Cost for the electric fill-up was $37.08, about the same as gasoline would at current prices in a V6 powered Genesis G80. And that tallies with my previous experience in fueling electric vehicles at public charging stations
Electrifying the G80 is a creative way to enhance its luxury. The inherent quiet of electric power along with 1,204-pounds of battery beneath your feet creates a feeling of substance during your highway journey. And the 5,038-pound curb weight, about the same as luxury EV rivals, doesn’t impede the fore and aft electric motors from zipping this big sedan to 60 MPH in just 4.9-seconds. Whether that silent cruising is worth the $10,000 premium over the very competent 3.5T Sport version, is a personal choice. At least until the political class tells us that choice has ended.
In every way, the Electrified G80 is an excellent offering in a very competitive luxury category. From the Napa leather seating to a robust list of equipment and the longest warranty in the class, it’s easy to make a good case for this Genesis. And at $81,525 MSRP, that’s as it should be. Other luxury rivals that plug in include BMW’s i5 and Mercedes-Benz EQE 350.