Hyundai Motor(005380) and Kia(000270) posted the highest July sales ever in the U.S. market last month. Hybrid models rose more than 50% from the same period a year earlier.
On the 3rd, Hyundai Motor and Kia said they sold a total of 165,284 vehicles in the U.S. last month, up 5.0% from a year earlier. Hyundai Motor sold 89,427 units and Kia sold 75,857, up 3.7% and 6.7%, respectively. Both were record July sales. Stripping out Genesis from Hyundai Motor alone, sales were 6,947 units, up 3.9%.
These results were driven by hybrid models. Combined hybrid sales for Hyundai Motor and Kia were 43,727 units, up 52.2% from a year earlier. In this segment, Kia's growth was particularly striking, rising 76.6% to 20,994 units. Hyundai Motor's hybrid sales were 22,733 units, up 35%.
However, the slump in electric vehicles is continuing. In July, Hyundai Motor and Kia's EV sales fell 40.5% to 7,210 units. Combined eco-friendly vehicle sales totaled 50,937 units, up 24.7%. Hyundai Motor rose 7.9% to 27,278 units, and Kia increased 51.9% to 23,659 units.
By model, at Hyundai Motor, the compact sedan Elantra climbed 38.5% to 17,115 units. The compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) Tucson rose 20.2% to 19,714 units. At Kia, the compact SUV Sportage (16,083 units, up 11.7%), the midsize SUV Telluride (11,816 units, up 13.5%), and the minivan Carnival (7,279 units, up 22.8%) showed strong sales.