Zero emission motoring has just become more affordable as Hyundai launches its $44,990 purely electric Ioniq.

The Ioniq Electric is now Australia’s cheapest pure electric car, undercutting the far smaller $47,490 Renault Zoe. The cheapest Tesla you can buy — the Model S 75D — is $146,512 to drive away.

The five-door liftback, similar in size to Hyundai’s Elantra and i30, boasts a “real-world” battery range of 230km and the ability to fast charge from zero to 80 per cent in 23 minutes.

The Ioniq Electric’s 88kW/295Nm motor may not boast the ballistic performance or greater electric range of a Tesla, but the Hyundai’s sticker price brings electric motoring into reach of more Australian families.

“The 2019 Ioniq makes responsive and eco-friendly electrified driving accessible to a wide range of customers, and is an exciting new chapter for our company,” said Hyundai Australia chief JW Lee at the car’s reveal.

As well as fettling the ride and handling for Australian conditions, Hyundai Australia’s team drove the Ioniq Electric over hundreds of kilometres in real world conditions to arrive at the 230km range. That meant plenty of urban use with the air conditioner on.

When charged at a commercial 100kW DC fast charging station the Ioniq Electric’s batteries reach 80 per cent charge in 23 minutes. The fastest way to charge at home is with a 7kW AC personal charging station ($1995 fitted in your garage), bringing full charge in four hours and 25 minutes. Plug it into your 240v AC outlet and it takes 12 hours.

Included in the $44,990 Ioniq Electric Elite is Hyundai’s comprehensive suite of active safety equipment, rear camera and parking sensors, 16-inch alloy wheels, 8-inch touchscreen with sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity, smart key and auto headlights and wipers.

For $48,990 a Premium version adds leather heated and ventilated seats, wireless phone charging, LED headlights, front parking sensors and a glass sunroof.

Buyers not sold on the electric revolution can buy an Ioniq Hybrid with a 77kW/147Nm petrol engine and small 32kW/170Nm electric motor from $33,990.

An Ioniq Plug-in (PHEV) from $40,990 uses the same petrol motor but has a larger 44.5kW electric motor and 8.9kWh lithium-ion battery for up to 63km of pure-electric motoring.

Hyundai said initial interest — including fleets, governments and private buyers — mainly surrounded the fully electric version, and suggested half the model’s sales would be of Ioniq Electric.

All versions have a five-year/unlimited km warranty plus an eight year/160,000km battery warranty. Annual services for the Hybrid and Plug-in cost $265, but so few moving parts in the Electric sees this drop to $160.