When I picked up the Genesis GV70 electric it took few days before I stopped being jealous of Tesla drivers. Finally I realised I was driving a zero emission luxury SUV that didn’t need to scream to world – I’M ELECTRIC!
The GV70 SUV in the petrol 3.5 litre twin turbo version is one of my favourite cars. It’s comfortable, powerful and luxurious. Around town, or on the open road, I can’t find anything I don’t like about it. The rear seats are roomy enough for two adults, and a third can slot in for short trips without being squashed. It comes with the latest safety technology and the Napa leather interior gives you a warm hug every time (or a cool one if you activate the A/C chilled seats).
So imagine my excitement when I got the opportunity to drive the electric version. Everything I liked in the ICE model but quieter and smoother. And it comes with BOOST button that propels it faster than any vehicle needs to be travelling on public roads.
It has has a 77.4 kWh battery and an advertised range of 445km using 19.9 kWh/100km. Driving around Sydney’s inner west I didn’t wait until the battery was down to 10km to see how far I could get. When there was 55km remaining I had travelled 290km (estimate range of 345km) averaging 21.9 kWh/100km.
Recharging was easy at Marrickville Metro shopping centre where they have several options for EV owners. You can charge for free using the 7kW if you BYO cable. Great for a top up while you’re shopping. I choose one of the two Evie 50kW chargers. After 56 minutes I had 46.6 kWh at a cost of $20.98 ($0.45 per kWh) and added 235km of travel.
I now have four apps on my phone to access charge stations for electric vehicles. Each one was easy to install after a few minutes to add my credit card details. As an EV owner I think my weekly routine would narrow it down to one main charge network. If I ventured out further around Sydney I’d be comfortable using several apps which would be the same process I use now for petrol stations.
During the week I had the electric Genesis GV70, EVX opened the first power pole EV charger in Sydney. It’s located on St Johns Rd in Glebe and gives local EV owners an opportunity to charge while parked on the street. It’s a 22kW charger with two outlets and the current cost is $0.50 per kWh.
The exterior colour of the car I drove was Atacama Copper. It looked rose gold or pink at different times of the day and certainly attracted plenty of comments. When combined with the athletic elegance of the GV70 exterior styling, it was turning heads everywhere.
And I must mention the FRUNK. It’s 22 litres providing some additional storage under the bonnet.
Now let’s talk about the fun stuff. The BOOST button is almost hidden on the steering wheel. It’s not bright red or raised like it would be in a performance car. It’s the same colour as the interior with small letters almost asking you not to press it. When you do push down, the driver’s seat transforms to hold you tight and it unleashes 700Nm of torque with 360kW of power directed to the front and rear motors for 10 seconds.
After a couple squirts in BOOST mode I was staring at Tesla drivers with a wry smile and enjoying the electric anonymity and luxury of the Genesis GV70.
