A new luxury electric car with a solar panel roof is coming to the UK soon

Genesis G80 EV
(Image credit: Genesis)

There's a new player in the European electric car market, and Genesis is promising a trio of EVs (electric vehicles) within the first 12 months of its arrival.

The South Korean vehicle manufacturer is the luxury division of parent company Hyundai. It's already an established name in a number of regions around the world, including North America and Australia, but Genesis now has its sights set on the European market.

Genesis is launching this summer in three countries initially – the UK, Germany and Switzerland – with petrol and diesel variants of its G80 sedan and GV80 SUV available at launch. 

Orders for its G70 sedan and GV70 SUV will open shortly after, and Genesis will launch a bespoke vehicle for the European market within its first year on the continent. 

While the firm's first fully electric car, the electrified G80 (and rival to the Mercedes EQS), won't be available at launch, Genesis has confirmed that it will – along with two further EVs – be on European roads within its first year too.

Genesis G80

(Image credit: Genesis)

A closer look at the electrified Genesis G8

The Genesis G80 EV was unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show in April 2021, and is a fully electric variant of the firm's G80 sedan.

Genesis claims the electrified G80 will offer a 0-60mph time of 4.9 seconds, a range of up to 427km (around 265 miles) on a single charge, and will recharge from 10%-80% in 22 minutes.

It also features a solar panel roof – something we've already seen from Genesis' parent company on the Hyundai Ioniq 5 – to increase efficiency, although we don't have the details on how much range these panels could potentially add.

There's no word on UK or European pricing for any of the Genesis models currently destined for the continent just yet, but expect a premium price tag from this luxury brand when orders do open up.

John McCann
Global Managing Editor

John joined TechRadar over a decade ago as Staff Writer for Phones, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He's interviewed CEOs from some of the world's biggest tech firms, visited their HQs and has appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC and BBC Radio 4. Originally specializing in phones, tablets and wearables, John is now TechRadar's resident automotive expert, reviewing the latest and greatest EVs and PHEVs on the market. John also looks after the day-to-day running of the site.