Canadian International Auto Show: Hyundai RN22e

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It all started, as it so often does in the world of automotive, on a racetrack. In 2007, the Schumann brothers, Peter Cate and Christian Hohenadel shared driving duties to a 13^th overall finish and first in the SP4 class in the punishing Nurburgring 24 Hours event. Their ride? A Hyundai Coupe V6.

That result, a big achievement considering there were 230 entrants, resonated 8,600 kilometres away in Hyundai headquarters in Seoul. It served as the beginning of what would become, five years later, the high-performance N brand with the gathering of Hyundai’s top engineers and researchers at the Namyang R&D Center. Two years after that, at the 2014 Frankfurt Motor Show, the N brand was revealed, and in 2017 the first mass-produced N model, the i30 N, went on sale in Europe. That iconic hot hatch was followed by, in order, the Veloster N, the World Rally Car-inspired i20 N, the Elantra N and the Kona N.

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And now comes the next chapter in the N story, this one revolving around electrification. The all-electric Ioniq 5 N will debut this year, and at the 2023 Canadian International Auto Show, Hyundai revealed the North American debut of a Ioniq 6-inspired, all-wheel drive, high-performance concept car from its EV N laboratory. The RN22e is based on the company’s Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), features front and rear electric motors for all-wheel drive, advanced torque vectoring technology and an aerodynamic design inspired by the Ioniq 6 sedan’s slippery lines. In addition, it borrows technology and know-how from Hyundai’s Electric Touring Car Race motorsports and past RM projects.

The concept’s name mashes up the ‘Rolling lab’ of N brand (RN) developed in 2022 (22) with EV performance (e). Incidentally, Hyundai prefers the term ‘rolling lab’ over ‘concept.’ You can read more about the other rolling lab Hyundai revealed at the show, this one a Canadian debut, here.

The RN22e’s specs certainly speak to a high-performance, all-electric machine. The concept’s 77.4 kWh battery capacity delivers 577 horsepower (430 kW), there’s a max torque figure of 546 lbs-ft (740 nM), it boasts 400-v/800-V fast, multi-charging capability, a 10 to 80 per cent charging time of under 18 minutes and a top speed north of 250 km/h.

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On hand at the debut at the Toronto Convention Centre was Hyundai vice-president of N Brand management and motorsport Till Wartenberg, who said the company will be entering a RN22e racer in the FIA’s ETCR series so that engineers can learn much more about electrified racing once it hits the track. But the future of racing, he said, is still a bit of a mystery.

“We see a lot of other brands going into Formula One, and in Formula-E going in and going out, so there is a lot of movement, discussion and uncertainty,” Wartenberg said when asked about Hyundai’s plans to expand its racing footprint, adding it stills needs to be proven to customers and race fans if all-electric racing is emotional, interesting and exciting enough to capture their interest.

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There are certainly a few powertrain avenues being explored for the future of racing, including hybrids, sustainable fuels, and full electrification. Clearly, with the RN22e, Hyundai expects the latter to be part of the mix.

Wartenberg noted the three performance pillars of N are ‘corner rascal,’ racetrack capability and everyday sportscar, and the RN22e ticks all those boxes. It features torque vectoring by twin clutch (corner rascal checkmark); an all-wheel drive system with track-optimized settings (racetrack capability checkmark); and a four-door body style well-suited to the road (everyday sportscar checkmark).

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Other interesting aspects include 3D printed parts designed to reduce weight and keep the rigidity for better corner, umm, rascalling; four piston monoblock calipers and a 400-mm hybrid disc to account for the weight of the electric powertrain system; and a focus on cooling and braking to enhance endurance.

Wartenberg said that engineers will use RN22e to study how to deliver dynamic movement with regen-braking that precisely controls yaw and corner attack. Those engineers also tackled the issue of how an EV performance car sounds. N Sound+ generates sound from the interior and exterior speakers, while N e-shift integrates the vibration and shifting feel using the N Sound+ software.

As mentioned, the Ioniq 6 served as an exterior design template for this ‘rolling lab,’ borrowing on that passenger vehicle’s slippery shape. From there the N design team added a few performance enhancements to the design, including low ground clearance and pronounced shoulders for a wide and sturdy stance, and a lower bumper that provides a sportier look. In addition to being functional aesthetics, these designs could also improve the RN22e’s cooling and aerodynamics, Wartenberg offered.

While it is very, very unlikely that the N Vision 74 rolling lab will ever make it into Hyundai’s production car lineup, it seems very, very likely that the RN22e will one day be the template for, oh say, an Ioniq 6 N.

For more information about the Canadian International Auto Show, and why you should go, click here!