Hyundai Motor Group (HMG), comprising Hyundai Motor and Kia Corporation, said it sold 516,000 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) worldwide in 2023, according to local reports, lifting cumulative sales to 1.53m units by the end of last year. Overseas sales were estimated to have accounted for around 80% of the total in 2023.
Hyundai launched its first BEV model in its domestic market in July 2011. The Blue-On was a battery powered version of the i10 city car which sold in limited volume.
Hyundai global BEV sales were estimated to have exceeded 280,000 units in 2023, with the Kona Electric, Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6 and electric versions of the Porter light truck its best selling models.
Kia’s main BEV models include the Niro, EV6 and EV9 and electric versions of its Bongo light truck. Smaller volume models include battery-powered versions of the G80 and G70 sold under Hyundai’s luxury Genesis brand.
Hyundai plans to launch a battery-powered version of the Casper small SUV this year and the mid-size Ioniq 7 SUV while Kia plans to launch the EV5 compact SUVs, followed by the EV3 and EV4 electric sedans later on.
HMG aims to achieve 3.6m BEV sales per year by 2030 - 2m Hyundai/Genesis models and 1.6m Kias.
Hyundai also said it would expand its certified used car business in South Korea to also include BEVs, increasing the range of used models sold by the automaker. It plans to establish certification standards for the condition of the used batteries and to determine their expected lifespan.
