Hyundai Motor Group has unveiled a significant new electric vehicle platform that will underpin 23 new electric car models over the next 4 years. The new platform, called E-GMP, will be used by Hyundai and Kia.

Hyundai and Kia have already seen success with their electric models, with the likes of the Kia e-Niro and Hyundai Ioniq proving popular. The E-GMP will give the Korean car manufacturing group a dedicated and flexible platform on which to build new models - with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 expected to be the first launch.

E-GMP follows the pattern for such platforms. It's modular, packs the battery into the floor space with enhanced cooling and crash protection, while also bundling up the components - the invertor, motor and transmission, into a space saving block.

Hyundai Motor Group says that you'll get up 500km range from E-GMP - 310 miles - while a new electrical architecture means that it will support charging up to 350kWh. You'll be able to charge to 80 per cent in 18 minutes, while it also offers a reversable power supply - so that car's battery can be used to power other equipment, recharge a different EV, or return power to domestic supply.

There's also a shift from front-wheel drive on the current Hyundai and Kia models, to rear wheel drive, with the option of dual-motor all-wheel drive. Hyundai says that E-GMP will underpin a wide range of body types, including saloons, SUVs and crossover types.

While we're yet to see what all these vehicle types will be, the announcement includes the detail that E-GMP can be configured for performance, with a 0-62mph time of 3.5 seconds possible.

The first E-GMP vehicles will be launched in 2021, already confirmed to be the Ioniq 5 - a compact SUV style car, based on the Hyundai 45 concept. Kia is also expected to launch a new model on the platform in 2021.