November HEV Sales in the U.S. Up 49% Year-on-Year
Elantra and Niro HEV Show Strong Growth
Hyundai and Kia Achieve Record Cumulative Sales Through November
EV Demand Declines as HEV Demand Surges
Annual Sales Performance Expected to Se
Hyundai Motor Company and Kia achieved their highest-ever monthly hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) sales in the U.S. market in November. This record was set despite adverse conditions such as the imposition of U.S. tariffs and the termination of electric vehicle tax credits, as demand for hybrids surged dramatically. As a result, both Hyundai and Kia are expected to post all-time record annual results in the U.S. this year. Hyundai is set to break its annual sales record for the fifth consecutive year, while Kia will do so for the third year in a row.
On December 2 (local time), Hyundai and Kia announced that their combined U.S. HEV sales for November totaled 36,172 units, a 49% increase compared to the same month last year. Hyundai sold 20,377 units (up 37%), and Kia sold 15,795 units (up 67%). For both companies, this marks the highest monthly HEV sales ever. By model, Sonata HEV (up 12%), Elantra HEV (up 96%), Niro HEV (up 286%), and Sportage HEV (up 71%) all showed remarkable growth.
From January to November, Hyundai (excluding Genesis) sold a cumulative total of 822,756 vehicles in the U.S., an 8% increase year-on-year. Surpassing 800,000 units by November makes it highly likely that Hyundai will achieve record annual sales for the fifth consecutive year. This success is attributed to the company’s strategy of building a competitive HEV lineup to respond to rapidly growing market demand.
Hyundai has steadily expanded its market share by offering HEV options for major models such as the Elantra, Sonata, Tucson, and Santa Fe. As a result, Hyundai recorded the highest sales growth rate (8.5%) among the six major automakers (Hyundai Motor Group, Toyota, Mazda, Subaru, Honda, Ford) on a cumulative basis. Next year, Hyundai plans to strengthen its HEV push by launching the Palisade HEV, a large model that is especially popular in the local market.
Since the end of the electric vehicle tax credit in late September, U.S. demand for electric vehicles has dropped sharply, with consumers shifting toward HEVs. According to WardsAuto.com, U.S. HEV sales through September this year increased by 33% compared to the previous year, more than double the growth rate of battery electric vehicles (BEVs), which was 14%. Randy Parker, CEO of Hyundai Motor America, stated, “Demand for HEVs remains strong, so we expect to achieve record sales for the fifth consecutive year.”
Kia has also already broken its all-time U.S. sales record, posting cumulative sales of 777,152 units, a 7% increase from the previous year. Five key strategic models-K5 (up 64%), Carnival (up 46%), Sportage (up 13%), Telluride (up 8%), and Sorento (up 2%)-have shown particularly strong growth, driving Kia’s overall performance.
Kia recently unveiled the 2027 Telluride, equipped with an HEV lineup, at the LA Auto Show, further strengthening its hybrid strategy. The Telluride, a strategic SUV developed exclusively for the U.S. market, is a core model driving Kia’s performance in the country.
Eric Watson, Vice President of Sales at Kia America, stated, “Interest in the completely redesigned Telluride is expanding beyond our existing customer base,” adding, “We expect this positive momentum to continue into next year.”
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