Hyundai launches its first ‘Electrified’ store in the UK

Hyundai has launched its first ‘Electrified’ store in the UK, revamping its Bluewater location to focus on electric vehicles.

The retail space in the Kent shopping centre was first opened in 2014 with the aim of putting the South Korean car maker’s products in front of up to 28 million shoppers every year.

However, it has now been reimagined to showcase Hyundai’s electric vehicles and other products related to EV ownership.

Visitors can check out the Electrified Wall, which has a fully functional home charging unit so people can get to grips with how they work. A large touchscreen also provides information and content related to Hyundai’s EVs.

The Powertrain Wall explains what electrified models are available, what the differences are and how they might fit into their lifestyle, with information on fully electric, plug-in hybrid, hybrid or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Finally, the Connectivity Wall has interactive displays looking at Hyundai’s infotainment system and mobile phone apps.

On top of being able to get up close to Hyundai vehicles, a dedicated Experience Centre in the shopping centre’s car park means that visitors can book a test drive without having to make another trip to their local dealership.

Ashley Andrew, managing director of Hyundai Motor UK, said: “Transforming the way people interact with our cars has always been just as important to us as transforming the cars themselves.

“Now, as we continue to accelerate our launch of market-leading electrified vehicles, it’s important that we have the right environment for people that might be unfamiliar with electric cars, to discover the benefits in a friendly and informative way.”

Hyundai currently offers three fully electric vehicles in the form of the Ioniq Electric, Kona Electric and Ioniq 5. The latter is built on the firm’s new EV platform, which enables a range of almost 300 miles, a 0-80 per cent charge in under 20 minutes, and a 0-60mph time of five seconds.

The firm is also one of the few manufacturers actively pursuing hydrogen technology with the Nexo. This smart-looking SUV uses the second generation of Hyundai’s hydrogen fuel cell powertrain, and if you can find a refuelling station, it can top up 413 miles of range in five minutes.