RM20e sets foundation for Hyundai EV with ‘supercar-level performance’

An all-electric race car making a monstrous 569kW of power has given a tantalising taste of Hyundai’s high-performance electrified future.

An evolution of previous RM (or Racing Midship) models – including the electric Veloster N eTCR unveiled at the 2019 Frankfurt motor show – the RM20e prototype was revealed at the 2020 Beijing motor show that opened this weekend.

It’s claimed to given an indication of “the electric-based high-performance potential for Hyundai N brand”, the high performance sub-brand of the Korean car maker.

Developed in conjunction with Croatian car maker Rimac – which is rumoured to be negotiating to purchase Bugatti – the Hyundai RM20e has a single electric motor making 569kW and 960Nm.

That’s more than double the power of a Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus.

It’s claimed to top 100km/h in less than three seconds and complete the 0-200km/h dash in 9.88 seconds. That’s only marginally slower than the fastest Porsche Taycan, the Turbo S, which takes 9.6 seconds for the same 200km/h sprint.

While the RM20e’s focus is clearly the track – check out the video below of it testing – Hyundai says it doesn’t come at the expense of “daily-driver quietness, responsiveness and road-going capability”.

And it’s the road that Hyundai has its eye on for an all-electric supercar, the RM20e giving a clear indication of where Hyundai wants to go with a future supercar.

“The RM20e sports car prototype clearly signals future electrified brand aspirations for Hyundai’s performance N brand, moving N into the prestigious genre of supercar-level performance,” said Thomas Schemera, executive vice president and head of product division at Hyundai Motor Group.

“Moving forward, Hyundai N not only increases drivers’ heartbeats per minute via powerful internal combustion engines, but also through the instantaneous torque and environmental sustainability of reliable electrified powertrains.

“RM20e proves that N driving excitement will not be compromised, even in electrified model variants.”

The head of Hyundai’s N brand – which created the impressive i30 N hot hatch – says the RM20e will be used as a track-ready prototype for future production vehicles.

“Our new electrified RM20e pushes the proven RM platform forcefully into a new, environmentally-focused decade of the 21st century, stretching the performance envelope of electrification on normal road environments,” said Albert Biermann, president and head of research and development at Hyundai.

“RM20e represents a revolutionary new chapter of electrified performance for the Racing Midship series, and our N engineers continue to garner valuable insights in the arena of zero-emission performance dynamics.”