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The Hyundai Ioniq 5 marks a strong debut for the automaker’s dedicated electric vehicle platform—Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). In this detailed teardown review, Munro & Associates explores the Body in White (BIW) of the Ioniq 5, revealing the engineering choices and structural strategies that position it as a leader in EV body design. For automotive engineers, EV enthusiasts, and lean manufacturing professionals, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 teardown provides compelling insight into how steel-intensive construction can still yield competitive weight, safety, and modularity.
Steel Dominant, Yet Weight Competitive
The Ioniq 5 BIW is primarily constructed from steel, with limited use of aluminum. Unlike some OEMs chasing exotic materials, Hyundai focuses on proven, cost-effective solutions. The structure employs extensive spot welding, with MIG welding only where access is restricted. This strategy minimizes plant complexity, reduces capital expense, and allows for high-volume production flexibility.
Despite being steel-dominant, the Ioniq 5 remains weight competitive. This is thanks to selective material application, strategic design integration, and a refined joining approach. Hyundai’s ability to integrate high-strength steels allows the body to meet global crash standards without bloating mass.
ACE-Inspired Front Architecture
Hyundai’s front-end structure borrows heavily from Honda’s ACE (Advanced Compatibility Engineering) philosophy. The Ioniq 5 features visible motor bay rails and a layered Front End Structural Module (FESM), forming robust energy paths in the event of a collision. This design has become increasingly common since the introduction of IIHS’s Small Overlap Rigid Barrier (SORB) test, a challenge Hyundai meets with confidence.
What sets this architecture apart is the integration of extruded aluminum members within the sills, hidden from exterior view but crucial for structural rigidity. These elements optimize crash energy management without adding excessive material forward of the axle—a win for both safety and weight.
Smart Fastening Strategy
A particularly interesting element is Hyundai’s use of Rivnuts in the extruded aluminum crush beams. While more complex than welding, this method enables efficient assembly when multiple components—such as radar brackets—must be attached. Though it carries a process penalty, this trade-off reduces the need for thickened or tapped aluminum sections across the beam.
In the broader context of lean design, Hyundai’s choice reflects a balanced approach: optimizing part count, modularity, and performance without overinvesting in capital-intensive processes.
Cradle Integration and Load Path Management
Moving into the mid-body, the FESM ties into a large bulkhead and cradle connection that supports vertical and lateral load transfer. Compared to earlier Hyundai-Kia iterations, this region shows increased robustness—an expected evolution as EV weight increases. Impressively, the Ioniq 5 achieves this without excessive overbuild. Hyundai maintains minimal material forward of the dash panel, a cost-saving move that doesn’t compromise safety.
Munro highlights how Hyundai avoids “crash-only” mass—structures added solely for regulatory compliance. Instead, they reinforce critical load paths within the passenger cell. This reduces waste, cost, and complexity while still delivering high IIHS safety scores, including Top Safety Pick+ ratings.
Bolt-In Reinforcements and Final Line Flexibility
The Ioniq 5 includes bolt-in structures in key areas, such as behind the hinge pillar. Unlike the Ford Mustang Mach-E, which integrates reinforcements into the painted BIW, Hyundai installs them at final assembly. This strategy allows higher flexibility, easier module swaps, and line-rate advantages. It’s a testament to Hyundai’s vertically integrated manufacturing model, where in-house control allows for nuanced production strategies.
These reinforcements also support Hyundai’s goal of platform flexibility. The E-GMP can accommodate varying wheelbases, seating layouts, and battery modules. By managing structural load transfer through interchangeable elements, Hyundai enables scalable vehicle development—from compact crossovers to three-row SUVs—on the same platform base.
Center Console and Occupant Safety
Inside the passenger cell, Hyundai integrates a “ladder frame” concept atop the floor, connecting crossmembers and inner torque boxes. This design helps prevent intrusion during side or frontal collisions and ensures that the battery remains safely encased. It also protects occupants’ legs and critical high-voltage connectors from displacement during impact.
Hyundai balances customer space and structural rigidity well. The center spine absorbs and redirects load paths, supporting both crashworthiness and cabin packaging.
Panoramic Roof Integration
In higher-spec Ioniq 5 models, a fixed panoramic roof is bonded directly to the cant rail flange. Compared to the Mach-E, which uses a more expansive flange (adding 75–90 mm of material), Hyundai keeps it tight. This minimalist approach reduces unnecessary mass and complexity without sacrificing stiffness or design integrity.
The grab handles and structural flanges converge efficiently, showing that Hyundai makes careful trade-offs between design flair and cost control.
Rear Impact Beam: Composites Done Right
One of the most innovative aspects of the Ioniq 5 body is the rear composite impact beam. Made of thick, 40% glass-filled polypropylene, this injection-molded part bolts to traditional steel crush cans. It’s a bold choice—most OEMs avoid composites in crash structures due to modeling challenges.
However, Munro praises Hyundai’s long-standing use of this design in several prior models. On rear structures, where crash loads are lower and regulations looser, the risk is manageable. The result is a lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and cost-effective solution that also simplifies rear bumper integration.
Strategic Evolution, Not Radical Reinvention
Munro emphasizes that the Ioniq 5 doesn’t radically diverge from Hyundai’s previous strategies. Rather, it refines and extends them. The use of steel, simplified joints, and bolt-on components all support an agile and efficient production philosophy.
The real question lies in scalability. As Hyundai prepares to launch larger E-GMP-based vehicles like the EV9, will this efficient architecture scale up? Or will it require thicker sections, more exotic materials, or different cooling strategies?
Room for Frunk Innovation?
Despite the Ioniq 5 offering a frunk, it’s small and costly in terms of space efficiency. The front-end still reserves significant room for cooling modules and impact structures. Hyundai has yet to fully shift toward horizontal radiator packaging—a move that could open up additional frunk space, as seen in some Tesla models.
Future iterations of E-GMP may explore this. Flattening the cooling module and restructuring the front end could enable more usable storage without compromising thermal performance.
Final Thoughts: Conservative, But Strong
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 teardown reveals a manufacturer playing to its strengths. It avoids unnecessary innovation, focusing instead on precision, adaptability, and global compliance. The result is a body structure that feels smart, safe, and scalable—qualities that automotive engineers and EV investors can appreciate.
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