Hyundai Motor, Kia top 100,000 EV sales in Europe for first time in a single half-year

Hyundai Motor and Kia posted record first-half electric vehicle sales in Europe this year, surpassing 100,000 units for the first time in a single half-year period.

The two automakers sold 131,032 electric vehicles in Europe in the first half of this year, a 41.8 percent increase from the previous half-year record of 92,365 units set in the second half of last year, the companies said Sunday. The result raises the prospect of reaching their annual European EV sales target of 200,000 units.

By model, Kia's compact electric SUV EV3 led all vehicles with 27,121 units sold in the first half. The Hyundai Motor Inster — sold domestically as the Casper Electric — came in second with 16,594 units, followed by the Kia EV4 at 14,502 units and the Kia PV5 at 14,013 units.

Hyundai Motor and Kia entered the European EV market in 2014 with the Kia Soul EV. In 2021, they crossed the 100,000-unit annual threshold for the first time, selling 135,408 vehicles led by the Ioniq 5 and EV6 — both built on the dedicated E-GMP electric platform.

Sales dipped to 121,705 units in 2024 as EV subsidies were cut in Germany and other major markets and economic conditions softened, but rebounded to 183,912 units last year, a jump of more than 50 percent from the prior year.

Cumulative European EV sales for Hyundai Motor and Kia reached 1,047,028 units through the first half of this year. The two brands crossed the 500,000-unit cumulative mark in 2023 — nine years after entering the European EV market — and surpassed 1 million units in May.

The companies have steadily expanded their European EV lineup by launching new models to strengthen their position in the market.

Hyundai Motor and Kia currently offer 14 electric vehicle models in Europe — Hyundai Motor with the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 5 N, Ioniq 6 and Ioniq 9, and Kia with the EV2, EV3, EV4, EV5, EV6, EV9 and PV5.

In the second half, the companies plan to launch the Ioniq 3 in Europe, targeting the region's strong demand for compact vehicles to further sharpen their competitive edge.

"We will respond more flexibly to market demand by operating diverse powertrains and building region-specific portfolios," a Hyundai Motor and Kia official said. "We will also continue to improve our sales mix toward higher-value vehicles and pursue cost reductions on multiple fronts."