SEOUL, July 19 (Yonhap) — Hyundai Motor Co. and its sister company Kia Corp. reported on Wednesday that their vehicle sales in Europe had increased 3.3% in the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2020, thanks to strong sales of their SUV models.
The two South Korean carmakers sold a total of 575,432 vehicles in Europe from January to June, up from 557,025 units in the same period of last year, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).
However, their market share decreased to 8.7% of the European passenger vehicle market in the first half of 2021 from 9.9% in the same period of 2020.
Their top-selling models included Kia’s Sportage SUV and Hyundai’s Tucson SUV. But sales of their electric vehicles, such as Kia’s EV6 and Hyundai’s Ioniq 5, decreased 8.6% year-on-year to 71,240 units in the first six months.
In June, the two automakers sold 106,605 automobiles in Europe, a 4.8% increase from 101,702 units in the same month of last year. But their share also dropped to 8.4% from 9.5%.
New registrations of all-electric cars in the European Union rose 66% from a year earlier to 158,252 units in June. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 15% of the European passenger car market in June, up from 10.7% in the same month of 2020, according to ACEA data.
BEVs became the third most popular choice among new car buyers in Europe, overtaking diesel for the first time, the data showed.
This file photo provided by Hyundai Motor Group shows Hyundai Motor and Kia's headquarters in Yangjae, southern Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
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