- It was the best January ever for the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, and hybrid versions of Tucson and Santa Fe.
- Kia EV9 sales declined marginally, but EV6 reached new heights.
- Hyundai and Kia’s electrified models are relatively immune from Trump’s tariffs since most are made in the U.S. or South Korea.
The Hyundai Motor Group was America’s second best-selling electric vehicle automaker in 2024. Despite a regulatory kerfuffle affecting EVs under the new Trump administration, the Korean automaker continued its sales momentum in January.
Hyundai’s total sales increased 15% in January, reaching 54,503 units. Sales of electrified vehicles, which include hybrids, plug-in hybrids and fully electric models, increased 41%. The Ioniq 5 electric crossover continued to be the brand’s top-selling EV with 2,250 units, a 54% increase over the same period last year. The Ioniq 6 sedan, which saw consecutive months of declining sales last year, is growing again, albeit by a small margin. Its sales rose by 15% to 871 units last month.
Photo by: Hyundai
The biggest growth, however, came from hybrids. Sales of the Santa Fe Hybrid grew by a whopping 160%, whereas the Tucson Hybrid witnessed an 89% growth. Hyundai doesn’t release the exact sales numbers of its hybrids, as their total sales are grouped together with those of the ICE-only models.
In January, Kia sold more cars than Hyundai. It sold 57,007 units across all powertrain types, a 12% increase over the same period last year. Sales of the EV6 increased 27%, reaching 1,542 units. The three-row EV9 saw a small dip in sales, declining by about 12.5% to 1,232 units.
Gas-powered SUVs were the best-sellers for both brands, although hybrids now increasingly make for a larger share of Hyundai and Kia’s total sales. Hyundai sold over 15,000 units of the Tucson, including its hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions. Kia sold over 11,000 units of the Sportage, which also includes its HEV and PHEV versions.
Several elements may have contributed to the record-setting month. Both brands have consistently offered some of the best lease and financing options on their EVs. The 2025 Ioniq 5, for example, can be leased from as low as $199 per month for 24 months with $4,000 due at signing. It is also the first EV in the U.S. to come with the Tesla NACS port straight from the factory, giving it access to tens of thousands of Tesla Superchargers nationwide.
Hyundai EVs can now be purchased on Amazon. That process is as easy as buying toilet paper or any small household item online. Be careful while browsing cars on that platform because it’s never been so easy to accidentally add a $40,000 item to your shopping cart.
Like any other automaker, 2025 could be a rough year for Hyundai and Kia, given the regulatory uncertainties around the $7,500 federal tax credit. On a brighter note, the automakers’ EV, hybrid, and PHEV sales will mostly be immune from Trump’s recently finalized 25% tariffs on items imported from Mexico and Canada. Barring a small percentage of components that are sourced from China, all of Hyundai and Kia’s electrified models are either made here in the U.S. or in Korea.
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