In early December last year, in London, England, numerous vehicles driving through the city often included electric cars with a green mark on the left edge of their license plates. The vehicle brands varied, including Volkswagen, BMW, Tesla, and MG Motor, and it was easy to spot cars with the logos of Hyundai Motor Company and Kia. The Uber driver who was called to pick up a load was operating a new Kia EV9.
The reason electric cars are easily seen in London is due to the government’s strong promotion policies. The UK was the first in the world to legislate a carbon neutrality goal for 2050 in 2019, and starting this year, automotive manufacturers are required to sell a certain percentage of electric vehicles. In this context, Hyundai Motor Company and Kia are also targeting the UK market with various strategic models.
According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), among the newly registered vehicles in the UK in December last year (140,786 vehicles), pure electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 43,656, which is 31% of the total. The share of pure electric vehicle sales in the UK has surpassed 20% for five consecutive months.
During the same period, sales of gasoline and diesel vehicles in the UK were 42.2% (59,455 vehicles) and 5% (7,060 vehicles), respectively. Hybrid vehicles (HEVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) sold 10.4% (17,899 vehicles) and 9% (12,716 vehicles), respectively.
The UK government mandated in September last year that manufacturers must sell a certain percentage of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) such as electric and hydrogen vehicles starting in 2024. The percentage gradually increases to 22% in 2024, 33% in 2026, 52% in 2028, and 80% in 2030, with a complete ban on selling new internal combustion engine vehicles from 2035. If manufacturers exceed the cap on internal combustion engine vehicle sales, a fine of £15,000 (about 27 million won) will be imposed per vehicle.
To expand the adoption of electric vehicles, the UK is not imposing additional tariffs on Chinese-made electric cars. This stands in contrast to the European Union’s decision to impose punitive tariffs of 17.8% to 45.3% on imports of Chinese electric vehicles.
Hyundai Motor Group is expanding its influence in the UK market. Last year, Hyundai Motor Company, Kia, and Genesis sold a total of 205,270 vehicles in the UK automotive market. By brand, Hyundai's sales grew 5.4% year-on-year to 91,808 vehicles, while Kia saw a 4.2% increase to 112,252 vehicles. Market share was 9th for Hyundai (4.7%) and 4th for Kia (5.75%), with the combined sales of the two companies exceeding 10%. This figure is higher than that of the top-selling company, Volkswagen (8.52%, 166,304 vehicles).
Electric vehicle sales by Hyundai Motor Group in the UK are also increasing. Last year, the total electric vehicle sales for Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis was 34,292 vehicles, marking a 7.52% increase year-on-year.
Hyundai Motor Company and Genesis expanded their electric vehicle lineup from 2 models (▲Ioniq EV ▲Kona EV) in 2020 to 7 models over four years with the introduction of the Ioniq 5 N to the UK market last year. Kia added the EV9 in the latter half of 2023 through a nationwide dealer roadshow and plans to introduce the EV3 in 2024, expanding its electric vehicle models to 5 (▲Soul EV ▲Niro EV ▲EV3 ▲EV6 ▲EV9).
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N was named 'Best hot hatch electric vehicle' at the electric vehicle awards hosted by the automotive magazine 'TopGear' in May last year. The Kia EV9 won '2024 UK Car of the Year' in March, and the EV3 was selected as 'Crossover of the Year' at the '2024 TopGear Awards' hosted by the influential UK automotive publication TopGear last month. Earlier last month, the upcoming PV5 was chosen as a 'Car to Watch' at the 'What Van Awards 2025' by the UK commercial vehicle magazine 'What Van.'
A representative from Hyundai Motor Group said, “The UK is the representative automotive market of Europe and has recorded the highest growth rate among major countries. We plan to enhance our vehicle sales that meet local customer demands, including electric vehicles, through various efforts moving forward.”