Hyundai Motor (005380.KS) and Kia (000270.KS) are on the verge of crossing 10 million in cumulative eco-friendly vehicle sales, 18 years after they launched their first hybrids — the Hyundai Avante Hybrid and Kia Forte Hybrid — in 2009. Analysts say the milestone reflects a two-pronged strategy: defending sales with hybrids through a period of slowing electric vehicle demand, while rolling out a steady stream of new EVs.
Combined eco-friendly vehicle sales at the two companies reached 9,229,837 units in the first half of the year, already past the 9 million mark, according to industry data cited on the 18th. Hyundai Motor, including its Genesis brand, sold 4,904,763 units, while Kia sold 4,325,074.
By powertrain, hybrids accounted for more than half at 5,623,312 units, followed by all-electric vehicles at 2,794,248, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) at 762,633 and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles at 49,644. Among individual models, the Tucson Hybrid led the hybrid segment with 854,535 units sold, ahead of the Niro (805,041), Sportage (658,800), Sorento (484,631) and Santa Fe (433,872) hybrids. In the EV segment, the Ioniq 5 was the best seller at 511,707 units, followed by the Kona Electric (451,593), Niro EV (332,640), EV6 (309,522) and EV3 (193,187).
Hyundai Tucson Hybrid. Hyundai
The steepening growth curve is the point to watch. When Hyundai and Kia first introduced eco-friendly vehicles in 2009, they sold just 6,312 that year. Sales topped 100,000 in 2016 at 128,976 units and broke through 1 million for the first time in 2022 at 1,020,196. The upward trend continued with 1,361,386 units in 2023, 1,414,567 in 2024 and 1,755,944 in 2025. In the first half of this year, sales rose 22.7% from a year earlier to 1,064,542 units. At this pace, one industry official said, annual sales could top 2 million for the first time this year. Measured against the roughly 7.5 million total vehicle sales target the companies set at the start of the year, that would mean more than one in four vehicles sold worldwide is an eco-friendly model — a level at which reaching 10 million cumulative units comes comfortably within reach.
Behind these results is a strategy of expanding the hybrid lineup even amid concerns over slowing EV demand. Hybrid sales in the first half rose 26.8% from a year earlier to 705,002 units. The move to quickly add hybrid versions of popular flagship SUVs such as the Tucson, Sportage and Sorento proved effective. The Sportage Hybrid and Sorento Hybrid rose 21.0% and 19.4% from a year earlier, respectively, maintaining solid momentum.
More recently, the hybrid lineup has expanded to large SUVs such as the Palisade and Telluride. The Palisade Hybrid, launched last year, sold 54,689 units in the first half, a 266.7% surge from 14,913 a year earlier, while the Telluride Hybrid, launched in the U.S. this year, sold 33,555 units to establish itself as a new standout performer.
EV3 (from left), EV4, EV5. Kia
EV sales, which had stalled for a time, are also showing signs of recovery. First-half EV sales rose 26.8% from a year earlier to 332,083 units. The effect of new models was pronounced: the EV4 surged 509.3% to 20,224 units and the EV5 climbed 552.0% to 37,531. The PV5 (32,095) and EV2 (18,694) also supported the results.
The previously sluggish Ioniq series is aiming for a rebound through a lineup overhaul. The Ioniq 3, targeting the European market, and the Ioniq V, a China-only model, will launch this year. Genesis is also broadening its electrified lineup with the GV90, its first large electric SUV.
The next move is the range-extended electric vehicle (EREV). An EREV pairs a pure-electric powertrain driven by a battery and electric motor with a supplementary gasoline engine dedicated to power generation. It differs from a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) in that the engine only charges the battery and plays no role in directly driving the wheels. Hyundai plans to first introduce the GV70 EREV in the North American market next year, then expand the lineup to mid-size SUVs and enter China, targeting sales of more than 80,000 units a year in North America and 30,000 a year in China. Kia is also preparing to launch an EREV pickup truck to break into North America by 2030.
