South Korea’s Hyundai, Kia sell over 130,000 EVs in Europe in first half of 2026
SEOUL, Aug 2 — 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 South Korean automakers stepped up efforts to strengthen their presence in the region, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing the companies on Sunday.
A total of 131,032 EVs were sold in Europe during the first six months of 2026, up a sharp 41.8 per cent from the 92,365 recorded in the previous half, according to Hyundai and Kia.
Kia’s EV3 compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) was the best-selling model, with 27,121 units sold, followed by Hyundai’s Inster subcompact SUV with 16,594 units and Kia’s EV4 saloon with 14,502 units.
If the current sales pace continues through to 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 one 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.
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.
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.
