Hyundai's sleek new electric car brings Tesla-beating range in a futuristic package

• The Hyundai Ioniq 6 sedan brings streamlined looks and impressive driving range. 
• It can drive 361 miles before needing to charge up, the EPA recently said. 
• Tesla's Model 3 has a maximum range rating of 358 miles.

Hyundai didn't design its newest electric car with a slippery, dolphin-like shape just because it looks cool. (It does.) Nor was the decision made to honor one of the most intelligent non-human creatures on Earth. (They should really be running things if you ask me.)

The upcoming Ioniq 6 sedan's smooth, streamlined profile is all about aerodynamics. In the world of electric vehicles, minimal drag translates to maximum driving range. And being able to travel a long way before stopping to charge is a big deal for EV buyers. 

Hyundai's work has paid off. This week, the EPA granted the Ioniq 6 a stellar range estimate of up to 361 miles, three miles more than Tesla's uber-successful Model 3. The accomplishment gives Elon Musk one more thing to worry about as rivals like Hyundai, Ford, and Polestar put out increasingly competitive products and eat into his company's sales. 

That's the rating for the Ioniq 6 SE RWD Long Range. The same model with all-wheel drive (which requires a second motor and sucks up more energy) is EPA-rated at 316 miles. The Ioniq 6 with the lowest range gets an estimate of 270 miles. 

The base, rear-wheel-drive Model 3 serves up 272 miles of EPA range. The Long Range version goes 358 miles per charge. But the comparison to Hyundai isn't one-to-one, since the rangiest Model 3 provides all-wheel drive. 

The Ioniq 6 also matches the Lucid Air as the country's most efficient EV, according to the EPA. 

Hyundai hasn't said how much the Ioniq 6 will cost when it arrives at dealerships this spring. But it looks primed to become one of the more appealing EV options on the market. 

Correction: February 2, 2023 — An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the Ioniq 6 will offer two battery sizes. It will offer only one.