Hyundai Motor Group Aiming to Join Global Top 10 This Year
The Tesla Model 3 topped the list of the most popular electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles last year with a global sales volume of 145,846 units.
It was followed by the BAIC EC-Series (90,637) and the Nissan Leaf (87,149). The Toyota Prius PHEV and the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV came in ninth and tenth, respectively. When it comes to those ranked 11th to 20th, seven Chinese electric vehicle models joined the list along with two BMW and one Renault models.
Such a rapid growth of Chinese automakers in the global EV market has to do with the ongoing rapid growth of the Chinese EV market. China accounted for 49 percent of the global EV sales volume in 2018 whereas the ratio stands at 16 percent for the United States and 12 percent for Germany.
Hyundai Motor Group, in the meantime, joined the list of the global top 10 EV manufacturers last year for the first time since its first EV debuted six years ago. Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors sold 53,114 and 37,746 EVs last year, respectively.
The group is aiming to sell at least 100,000 EVs and put its name on the list of the 10 most popular EV models this year. Hyundai Motor Co. sold 22,767 units of the Kona Electric in 2018. The model has an EPA-certified driving range of 415 km.