In the brave new world of electric vehicles, the established hierarchy of manufacturers no longer applies.

From exotic performance brands such as Ferrari and Porsche, to your meat and three veg merchants such as Holden and Mitsubishi, they’re all learning how EV technology works. This is a new race — even the bookies don’t know who the favourites are.

Among mass market brands, Hyundai is out in front. It builds the Kona Electric SUV and Ioniq Electric sedan, which we’re driving today.

Value

At about $53,000 drive-away, the Ioniq Electric Elite is Australia’s most affordable EV. Premium grade, with extra luxe including heated/cooled front seats and a sunroof, adds about $4000.

It gets a major engineering update for 2020, including a new 38.3kWh lithium-ion battery, with 36 per cent greater storage capacity, increasing the car’s claimed maximum range from 230km to 311km.

A bigger battery also takes longer to charge. Hyundai claims 54 minutes from zero to 80 per cent capacity at a 100kW public fast charger — or 31 minutes longer than the 28kWh battery in the 2019 model. Fed by a household power point, our test car’s battery took 17 hours 10 minutes to charge from 15 per cent to full. Most owners will spend an extra $1950 to install a wall charger at home. This will achieve zero to 100 per cent — using off peak power at night — in about six hours.

Driving the front wheels via a single speed transmission, the electric motor gets a power boost — now 100kW, up from 88kW. Hyundai’s Blue Link app allows you to monitor and control the car, including battery status, range and charge scheduling, from your phone.

Comfort

The Ioniq Electric is smoother and quieter than just about any conventional car this side of a Rolls Royce Phantom.

That’s because in a petrol engine hundreds of explosions and assorted acts of mechanical violence occur every second, whereas current flows silently to an electric motor, which has but a single, inherently balanced, moving part. Want peak serenity while you drive? Get an EV.

Hyundai Australia’s suspension tune complements this ultra-refinement, with a supple ride and distinctly non-sporty handling and steering. That said, the Ioniq is fine on the open road, where its low centre of gravity, characteristic of EVs, contributes to its planted, well-balanced feel.

Comfortable, supportive seating extends to decent legroom in the back stalls.

Digital instruments include displays for range to empty and distance to the nearest charging station.

Safety

The essentials are there, plus adaptive cruise with stop-go in slow traffic. If the airbags deploy, there is automatic emergency assistance calling.

Driving

In an EV, power is immediate, effortless and supremely smooth. Since the car was invented in the late 19th century, the world’s best engineers have been trying to make petrol engines go like this.

Around town, you can get nearly 300km from one battery charge. Regenerative braking occurs any time you lift your right foot and the rate is adjustable via paddles on the steering wheel — it’s very effective, to the point that you can use the left paddle instead of the left pedal to brake.

On the highway though, as with other EVs, the Ioniq’s claimed maximum range becomes a lotto number.

I head north from Melbourne on the Calder freeway with an almost fully charged battery and 275km of range showing on the dash. After 75km at motorway speeds, I’ve got 176km left — so of the range I had when I started, 24km have disappeared.

And the nav tells me the nearest charging station is back in Melbourne.

On the highway, an EV loses about one kilometre of starting range for every three kilometres you travel. Extreme heat or cold can also cut range by up to 25 per cent.

At 100km, I’ve got half left in the battery. The nav is still insisting the nearest charging station is in Melbourne, now 97.6km away.

Retreat or drive on? In a few more kilometres, my fate will be sealed and, no matter which choice I make, we will soon ease silently to a stop. I should have brought an extension lead so I can plug in at Maccas. I wonder if they’ll let me stay overnight? This is what EV range anxiety looks like, folks.

Lucky I’m close to home. EVs are here and that’s a good thing. But for now, in the wide brown land, petrol is still the fuel of choice to get you there.

Heart says

It’s time we got out of fossil fuel cars and into EVs. Right now.

Head says

I live in the city and hate road trips. I’ve got big solar grunt on the roof, plus a big battery to store the free, zero emission power it makes for my house. Now, it can run my car too.

Verdict 3.5/5

Electric cars still have obvious limitations around price, practicality and range. If these don’t apply to you, dollar for dollar, Ioniq is arguably the best of them.

Alternatives

Nissan Leaf from $54,412 drive-away

Second generation Leaf, the world’s top-selling EV, has a 40kWh battery that provides up to 270km of claimed range. 110kW of power.

Tesla Model 3 from $67,900 plus on-roads

Tesla’s DNA is pure EV, so as far as range and performance are concerned it’s in a different league. Model 3 claims up to 460km of range and 225kW of power.

Hyundai Ioniq electric vitals

Price: From about $53,000 drive-away

Warranty/servicing: 5 years (average; 8 years battery), $800 prepaid for 5 years/75,000km

Motor: electric, 100kW/295Nm (average)

Safety: 5 stars, 7 airbags, AEB, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise

Range: Up to 311km

Spare: None; repair kit

Boot: 357L