Hyundai, Kia sell over 100,000 EVs in Europe in H1

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, second from right, inspects Hyundai Motor's plant in Turkey, Thursday. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group

Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp. sold more than 100,000 electric vehicles (EVs) in Europe in the first half of the year as the Korean automakers stepped up efforts to strengthen their presence in the region, the companies said Sunday.

A total of 131,032 EVs were sold in Europe during the first six months of 2026, up a sharp 41.8 percent from 92,365 recorded in the previous half, according to Hyundai and Kia.

Kia's EV3 compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) was the bestselling model with 27,121 units sold, followed by Hyundai's Inster subcompact SUV with 16,594 units and Kia's EV4 sedan with 14,502 units.

If the current sales pace continues through the end of the year, the companies expect annual EV sales in Europe to surpass 200,000 units for the first time since they entered the European EV market in 2014.

Hyundai and Kia first topped 100,000 annual EV sales in Europe in 2021, and their combined sales have risen steadily since then, reaching 183,912 units in 2025.

Their cumulative EV sales in Europe surpassed the 1 million mark through May.

The automakers, which belong to Hyundai Motor Group, have been expanding their EV lineup in Europe, where demand for environmentally friendly vehicles remains strong. They currently offer 14 EV models in the region.

"As competition in the European EV market intensifies, we plan to further expand our EV lineup to increase our market share," a source at the conglomerate said.

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung visited Hyundai Motor's plant in Turkey on Thursday to inspect the production line for the Ioniq 3, the company said.

Kia's EV3 / Courtesy of Kia

The all-electric compact hatchback is set to enter mass production at the Turkish plant later this month and make its European market debut in the second half of the year.

The Turkish plant, which will mark its 30th anniversary of mass production next year, has an annual production capacity of 200,000 vehicles and plans to increase EV production.

"We must pursue continuous innovation and strengthen our competitiveness to become the undisputed leader in Turkey across all areas, including production, quality and sales," Chung said.