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This is the second installment in the continuously running The BRAKE Report Magazine series “How to Stop” in which we will take a look at the systems designed to brake some unique products. We initiated the series with a feature on the brake system of the Ford F-150 Lightning battery-electric full-size pickup.
This issue we examine the unique brake system which was part of the design/development of the hyper-performing Hyundai Ioniq 5 N sport utility vehicle, a vehicle where the emphasis was on sport.
A motor vehicle dubbed high performance generally brings an above average amount of horsepower. In the case of the battery-electric IONIQ 5 N, the EV’s maximum 641 horsepower (478 kW and 568 pounds-feet of torque) makes it the most powerful street-legal vehicle Hyundai has ever offered.
When the company’s engineers set out to produce the company’s most powerful vehicle, they realized going fast was easy – just install more powerful motors (there are two in the all-wheel-drive N). But going fast in a controlled manner, whether on a closed circuit or public streets, meant producing a sophisticated platform with an up-to-the-task platform which included a state-of-the-art bespoke braking system.
The IONIQ 5 N’s architecture provided the Hyundai engineering team a unique way to bring the super EV to a stop: a combination of regenerative braking – turning the engine into a generator, thus both slowing the five-passenger SUV or crossover utility (CUV) and replenishing the battery – along with a more traditional friction system. In the case of the IONIQ 5 N, both braking methods — which function in conjunction with each other and really must be considered a single system — are considerably modified when compared to the non-N version of the brand’s best-selling EV.
As explained to The BRAKE Report Magazine, “The IONIQ 5 N is designed and built as a part of a range of award-winning E-GMP [Hyundai’s global electric-vehicle platform] EVs featuring class-leading technology. The success of these vehicles gave confidence for the development of a high-performance N variant, and we were able to continue to challenge the project for improved results.
“On the other hand, we have met a tremendous mission to develop a brake system that can withstand the Nürburgring Nordschleife [challenging 12.9-mile race circuit in Germany used by auto makers to develop and prove the capabilities of their vehicles] for two laps or more with an electric vehicle weighing more than two tons.
The rest of the article can be found in the Q2 2025 issue of The BRAKE Report Magazine.
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