IONIQ 5, Niro February sales beat global EVs in Europe

Hyundai Motor Group’s electric vehicle sales in Europe are rapidly rising. Hyundai Motor Co.'s IONIQ 5, launched in Norway in May 2021, topped monthly EV sales in the Northern European country last month for the first time. Also, Kia Corp.'s latest crossover electric sport utility vehicle, the Niro EV, topped monthly sales in the overall European EV market last month, as well as in Sweden for two straight months since January.

The two South Korean EV models are highly recognized in the home countries of global EVs. The combined market share of EVs and plug-in hybrid EVs (PHEVs) make up 86% of the Norwegian auto market and 51% of the Swedish car market.

Hyundai sold 455 units of the IONIQ 5 in Norway last month, according to American news outlet CleanTechnica on Mar. 6. The BMW iX, the Audi Q4 e-tron, the Polestar 2 and the Skoda Enyaq were behind with 425, 388, 386 and 357 units, respectively. In January, the Korean EV model ranked second with 476 units sold in the Norwegian market.

The Niro EV, with sales of 711 units in Sweden last month, beat all global competitors there. The Tesla Model Y ranked second with 583 units sold. The Polestar 2, the Volkswagen ID.4, and the Volvo XC40 followed with 436, 433 and 303 units, respectively.

In January, Kia sold 996 units of the Niro EV in Sweden, topping EV sales in the country. Last month, the Korean EV ranked top for sales in the European EV market with 4,035 units sold.

“Norway and Sweden are a testbed for global EVs. The two Korean EV models’ European sales will rapidly increase as the two countries recognize their commercial value,” an industry source said. Kia’s electric SUV model EV6 is also garnering attention in the European market – it ranked second in a recent comparative evaluation of five electric SUVs by Auto Zeitung, one of three major German auto magazines. IONIQ 5 ranked the top, while the Polestar 2, the Tesla Model Y and the Mercedes-Benz EQB followed.   

The IONIQ 5 is also receiving favorable reviews also from the Japanese market, where Hyundai has recently reentered with online EV sales. 

Several Japanese auto magazines, such as Best Car, Response and Car Top, have been posting the EV model’s test-driving reviews since last month. Best Car has said IONIQ 5 excels Toyota’s first all-electric vehicle model bZ4X in fun driving, powertrain, interior texture and handling. "A number of consumers will choose the Korean EV model, and the Japanese EV brands need a challenge," said the Japanese magazine.

Write to Hyung-Kyu Kim at khk@hankyung.com
Jihyun Kim edited this article.