Slicing through air at 0.144: Hyundai builds the world’s most aerodynamic EV

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Slicing through air at 0.144: Hyundai builds the world’s most aerodynamic EV

Published: 24 Jul. 2025, 08:30 Updated: 24 Jul. 2025, 18:37

SARAH CHEA
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Hyundai's Aero Challenge concept car achieved a drag coefficient of 0.144, the lowest in the world. The drag coefficient is a crucial factor in the era of EV competition as it is a direct contributor to how far an EV can go on a single charge. [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

HWASEONG, Gyeonggi — A white sedan, not so different from Hyundai Motor's Ioniq 6, sits stationary as six streams of wind hit it at 140 kilometers per hour (87 miles per hour). Here it is, a car holding the record for the lowest drag coefficient in the world.

It might all sound a bit too technical, but drag coefficient is one of the crucial factors in the era of EV as it is a direct contributor to how far an EV can go on a single charge — and thus lies at the heart of Hyundai's Namyang R&D Center, the largest research center of the world’s third-largest automaker.

“With this Aero Challenge concept car, we achieved a drag coefficient of 0.144 — the lowest in the world, even surpassing the previously leading figures of 0.19 by Mercedes-Benz and 0.16 by Chery,” Park Sang-hyun, the head of the aerodynamics development team, told to press during a tour of the center on Wednesday.

A wind tunnel fan 8.4 meters (27 feet, 7 inches) in diameter, capable of generating winds equivalent to speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour (124 miles per hour) and powered by a 3,400-horsepower motor, at Hyundai Motor Group's Namyang R&D Center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, on July 23. [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

The achievement came after years of performance testing using a wind tunnel fan 8.4 meters (27 feet, 7 inches) in diameter capable of generating winds equivalent to speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour, powered by a 3,400-horsepower motor.

"Improving the drag coefficient by just 0.01 can extend driving range by 6.4 kilometers," Park added.

Until now, the lowest drag coefficients publicly disclosed for concept cars were 0.19 by Mercedes-Benz and 0.16 by Chery.

The Namyang center, established in 1996, is where all of Hyundai's latest technologies and future lineups come to life. The institute oversees the entire vehicle development process, from new model and technology development to design, engineering, testing and evaluation, regardless of car types, from passenger cars to commercial vehicles like trucks and buses.

The tour day was swelteringly hot, with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), but an Ioniq 9 EV was braving a fierce snowstorm inside a chamber next door.

An Ioniq 9 EV sits blanketed in snow inside the environmental testing facility, where vehicles are tested under simulated snowfall at Hyundai Motor Group's Namyang R&D Center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, on July 23. [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

Researchers inspect the frunk of an Ioniq 9 EV, which sits blanketed in snow inside the environmental testing facility, where vehicles are tested under simulated snowfall at Hyundai Motor Group's Namyang R&D Center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, on July 23. [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

In this chamber, set to a bone-chilling minus 30 degrees Celsius, a few researchers dressed in heavy winter gear inspect the car’s frunk, or trunk in the front of a car, where the engine is normally housed.

The environmental testing facility is designed to test and develop vehicles to withstand the extreme cold of Northern Europe. Temperatures can be simulated from as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius to as high as 60 degrees Celsius, with snowfall building up to 7 centimeters (2.8 inches) per hour.

"Under no circumstances should snow enter the charging port or trunk of an EV, as well as battery or electrical systems, because that may cause malfunctions,” said Hong Hwan-ui, a researcher at the thermal energy vehicle testing team.

“Since 2003, every Hyundai and Kia model must go through this chamber before they go out into the world.”

A Genesis GV70 is tested on its road noise level at Hyundai Motor Group's Namyang R&D Center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, on July 23. [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

Another crucial competition in EVs is the remarkably smooth ride and near-silent drive. Capable of delivering acceleration once reserved for supercars, today’s EVs demand exceptionally high-speed stability, while the added weight from large battery packs places significantly greater strain on suspension systems and tires.

Inside a compact 10-by-14-meter room lined with acoustic sponge panels, a Genesis GV70 spins its wheels in place. Beneath it lies a carefully constructed floor, mimicking everything from coarse asphalt to smooth road surfaces. This is the Road Noise Testing Lab, where sound levels are continuously measured and displayed in real time as frequency graphs on a monitor. When noise spikes in a specific frequency range, engineers log the data, then later trace it back to analyze precisely when and where it occurred and what kind of road surface the vehicle was driving on at that moment.

A researcher inspects tires to detect even the slightest vibrations at Hyundai Motor Group's Namyang R&D Center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, on July 23. [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

In one corner stood a high-speed tire uniformity tester, where tires were rolled atop a drum spinning at speeds of up to 320 kilometers per hour to detect even the slightest vibrations. A small stud affixed to the drum simulated uneven road surfaces, allowing engineers to assess how the tire responds to bumps and evaluate overall ride comfort.

Hyundai Motor Group has maintained the No. 3 automaker status for three consecutive years since 2022, delivering some 7.23 million cars to global markets in 2024. Much of this success has been driven by the company’s growing EV portfolio — particularly in North America, where the combined sales of Hyundai and Kia rose to the No. 2 spot behind Tesla, surpassing General Motors.

But that growth is now under threat as U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which went into effect on July 4, a sweeping tax reform package that includes a major rollback of EV subsidies. The legislation aims to eliminate up to $7,500 in tax credits for EVs assembled in North America from Sept. 30, a reversal from the former Joe Biden administration’s plan to maintain the incentives through 2032.

Hyundai and Kia’s EV exports to the U.S. market dropped 88 percent on year to 7,156 units between January and May of this year, according to the Korea Automobile & Mobility Association.

BY SARAH CHEA [[email protected]]