Hyundai, Kia achieve record November US sales led by rising IONIQ5, EV6 demand
Kia announced Thursday it achieved its strongest November US sales month on record as demand for its electric vehicles pushed the automaker to new heights. Meanwhile, parent company Hyundai also surpassed its previous US November sales record with several leading EV models enticing buyers, such as the award-winning IONIQ5 and Kona EV.
After announcing plans to invest $7.4 billion to scale its US electric vehicle program in May 2021, the Hyundai Motor Group is seeing the fruit of its labor.
The Hyundai Motor Group, including Kia and Genesis, are having their best year in the US as demand for their new electric vehicles is driving record sales. Hyundai is solidifying its place in the future of the US auto industry as it rapidly executes its EV strategy, including building out its local sourcing and assembly capabilities.
In May, the South Korean automaker stated its intentions to build its first dedicated EV factor in the US. However, the Inflation Reduction Act passed in August threw a curveball in Hyundai’s blueprint.
With new incentives promoting domestic EV battery sourcing and assembly, Hyundai quickly adjusted, breaking ground on its $5.5 billion electric vehicle plant in Bryan County, Georgia, on October 25, 2022.
Despite several analysts calling for an “inevitable” drop in US demand, Hyundai and Kia continue overcoming the odds as consumers looking for zero-emission EV options are driving record sales.
Soaring EV demand pushes Hyundai and Kia to new November US sales records
Hyundai and Kia both achieved record US sales in November as demand for new EV models heats up.
Kia’s electrified model sales increased 133% in November from last year, driving total US sales 8% higher than the previous record set in 2016. Eric Watson, VP of sales operations for Kia America, doesn’t see the EV momentum slowing anytime soon, claiming:
Our electrified offerings posting double or triple-digit sales increases for the fifth consecutive month, we are confident that we will end the year strong, and this positive sales momentum will carry through to 2023.
Sales of Kia’s EV6 reached 641 in November, bringing the YTD total to 19,391.
Meanwhile, Hyundai saw demand for its electric vehicles climb as Kona EV sales grew 113% YOY, while IONIQ5 sales hit 1,191 in November for a total of 21,262 so far this year.
Hyundai’s IONIQ5 continues attracting customers from other brands looking for pure EV options. A new report from S&P Global Mobility shows the top gas cars drivers are switching from, including the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Mazda CX-5. As Hyundai and Kia ramp-up EV production in the US, we may see a new trend forming.
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China just laid out a plan to roll out over 100,000 ultra-fast EV charging stations by 2027 – and they’ll all be open to the public.
The National Development and Reform Commission’s (NDRC) joint notice, issued on Monday, asks local authorities to put together construction plans for highway service areas and prioritize the ones that see 40% or more usage during holiday travel rushes.
The NDRC notes that China’s ultra-fast EV charging infrastructure needs upgrading as more 800V EVs hit the road. Those high-voltage platforms can handle super-fast charging in as little as 10 to 30 minutes, but only if the charging hardware is up to speed.
China had 31.4 million EVs on the road at the end of 2024 – nearly 9% of the country’s total vehicle fleet. But charging access is still catching up. As of May 2025, there were 14.4 million charging points, or roughly 1 for every 2.2 EVs.
To keep the grid running smoothly, China wants new chargers to be smart, with dynamic pricing to incentivize off-peak charging and solar and storage to power the charging stations.
To make the business side work, the government is pushing for 10-year leases for charging station operators, and it’s backing the buildout with local government bonds.
The NDRC emphasized that the DC fast chargers built will be open to the public. This is a big deal because a lot of fast chargers in China aren’t. For example, BYD’s new megawatt chargers aren’t open to third-party vehicles.
As of September 2024, China had expanded its charging infrastructure to 11.4 million EV chargers, but only 3.3 million were public.
Read more: California now has nearly 50% more EV chargers than gas nozzles
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Tesla is starting to experience some consequences for misleading Full Self Driving customers – at least that’s the finding of one arbitration ruling that has Tesla refunding one customer $10,000 plus legal fees for failing to deliver on their promises. Find out more on today’s legally challenging episode of Quick Charge!
An arbitration “court” found that Tesla misled customers with its Full Self Driving product, and has now been forced to refund at least one person’s $10,000 payment (plus legal fees) for the not-quite autonomous driving software. France, too, is piling on claims of deceptive business practices – but there’s some good news for FSD fans! If you’re still willing to pay for it, Tesla will thrown in 0% financing on a brand new Cybertruck.
Check out the relevant links, below, to learn more.
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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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