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Hyundai Motor Group, including Kia and Genesis, is taking the US EV market by storm this year. After reaching double-digit market share, Hyundai continued closing the gap with Tesla as the second-largest EV brand in the US through July.

Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis take second in US EV market

Through the first seven months of 2024, Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis accounted for 10% of the US EV market. Hyundai outpaced Ford (7.4%) and GM (6.3%), according to Motor Intelligence.

Tesla’s share of the US EV market slipped below 50% for the first time in the second quarter. Tesla accounted for 49.7% of EV sales in the US in Q2 as new models hit the market.

Although IONIQ 5 and 6 sales slipped last month, they are still up 25% and 54% year-to-date, respectively. Meanwhile, sister company Kia continued its record-setting performance in July after EV sales nearly doubled YTD.

Kia’s new EV9, its first three-row electric SUV, is a major part of its growth. According to Kelley Blue Book, Kia EV9 sales outpaced the Toyota bZ4X, VW ID.4, Nissan Ariya, Rivian R1T, and Tesla Model S in the US through the first half of 2024. It even topped Kia’s Niro EV sales.

Hyundai’s luxury brand, Genesis, remains a dark horse in the US EV market. Genesis is quickly expanding in the US.

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Hyundai IONIQ 5 (Source: Hyundai)

After adding 21 dedicated retailers in the US this year, including in eight new states, Genesis recently announced it now has 56 standalone facilities.

“In two short years, Genesis’ retail footprint has grown rapidly from one dedicated retail facility in Louisiana to 56 retail facilities nationwide,” Genesis North America COO Claudia Marquez said.

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Genesis GV60 at a Tesla Supercharger (Source: Genesis)

Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis continue gaining ground in the US with some of the most affordable, fuel-efficient EVs on the market. Hyundai and Kia account for eight of the top ten most fuel-efficient EVs in the US in 2024.

Hyundai Motor and its suppliers are investing heavily in the US, its largest sales market (North America). The company is opening its Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) later this year in Georgia.

Hyundai invested around $7.6 billion, creating around 8,500 jobs. However, with its suppliers, the Metaplant is expected to attract over $12.6 billion in funding.

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Hyundai IONIQ 9 (SEVEN) three-row electric SUV concept (Source: Hyundai)

According to the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), it’s also expected to establish over 50,000 new positions in the state.

Georgia awarded the automaker with its own “Hyundai Day” on February 26, 2024. Hyundai has been fast-tracking construction to enable EVs made at the plant to qualify for the $7,500 tax credit.

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Hyundai Motor America CEO Jose Munoz with Georgia Governor Brian P Kemp at Hyundai Day (Source: Hyundai)

Hyundai has been passing the credit on through leasing, which accounts for 60% of its EV lineup. Although the battery portion with LG Energy Solution isn’t expected to come online until the end of 2025, Hyundai is expected to source batteries from its Hungary plant in the meantime.

A second battery plant with SK On in Bartow County, GA, will supply batteries for Hyundai’s Montogomery, AL, where the Genesis Electrified GV70 is built, and Kia’s West Point plant, where the new EV9 is built.

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Kia EV9 production begins in Georgia (Source: Kia)

Kia began EV9 production in GA in May. It will be the first model to qualify for the credit, with deliveries of the US-made EV9 set for October.

Until then, Kia is offering massive discounts on the EV9. According to Motor Intelligence, Kia EV9 discounts reached over $18,000 in June.

The Metplant is expected to open its doors in October. Hyundai’s new updated 2025 IONIQ 5 will be the first to roll off assembly.

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Hyundai IONIQ 5 update (Source: Hyundai)

Hyundai is also expected to unveil its first three-row electric SUV, the IONIQ 9. The larger Hyundai electric SUV is expected to be built at the facility to qualify for the EV tax credit.

Meanwhile, Genesis is also preparing to launch its flagship electric SUV. The ultra-luxury Genesis GV90 is expected to expand the brand upward to rival Rolls Royce and Bentley.

With new models rolling out and the Metaplant opening later this year, Hyundai will be a brand to keep an eye on in 2025.

Source: Automotive News

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The first giant 15 MW turbine is up at Germany’s largest offshore wind farm

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The first giant 15 MW turbine is up at Germany’s largest offshore wind farm

Germany’s largest offshore wind farm under construction, EnBW’s He Dreiht, just hit a big milestone: The first enormous turbine is now up in the North Sea.

He Dreiht – which means “it spins” in Low German – is using Vestas’s massive 15 megawatt (MW) turbines, the first project in the world to install them. Just one spin of one of the rotors can generate enough electricity to power four households for an entire day.

When it’s finished, He Dreiht will have 64 mega turbines cranking out 960 megawatts (MW) of clean power – enough to supply around 1.1 million homes. And it’s being built without any government subsidies.

EnBW, one of Germany’s major energy companies, has been working in offshore wind for more than 15 years, but He Dreiht is their biggest project yet. “It will play a key role in helping us to significantly grow our renewable energy output from 6.6 GW to over 10 GW by 2030,” said Michael Class, who heads up EnBW’s generation portfolio development.

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The project is a win for Vestas, too. “With the installation of the first V236-15.0 MW, we have reached an important milestone for both the He Dreiht project and our offshore ramp-up, which helps Germany build a more secure, affordable, and sustainable energy system,” said Nils de Baar, president of Vestas Northern & Central Europe.

He Dreiht is located about 85 kilometers (53 miles) northwest of Borkum and 110 kilometers (68 miles) west of Helgoland. At peak times, more than 500 workers will be out at sea building the farm, using a fleet of more than 60 ships. EnBW’s offshore team in Hamburg is running the show.

The installation process is a major operation. The 64 foundations were already set in the seabed last year. Parts for the turbines are loaded onto the installation vessel Wind Orca in Esbjerg, Denmark, and shipped out in a 12-hour journey to the construction site. From there, the turbines are lifted into place. Meanwhile, crews are also working on internal wind farm cabling.

A partner consortium made up of Allianz Capital Partners, AIP, and Norges Bank Investment Management owns 49.9% of the shares in He Dreiht.

Read more: Trump admin halts $5 billion NY offshore wind project mid-build


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Tesla gives update on Tesla Semi factory, says on track for volume production in 2026

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Tesla gives update on Tesla Semi factory, says on track for volume production in 2026

Tesla has released a quick update about its Tesla Semi factory in Nevada. It says that it is on track for volume production of the electric semi truck in 2026.

The Tesla Semi was first scheduled to go into production in 2019, but it has faced numerous delays.

Now, it appears that there is finally some momentum to bring it to volume production.

For the last two years, Tesla has been working to build a new factory next to Gigafactory Nevada, where it builds the battery packs and drive units for most of its electric vehicles built in North America.

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Today, Tesla released a “progress update on the factory, confirming that it finished building and it’s now working on deploying the production lines:

Tesla had previously mentioned aiming for volume production by 2025, but it is now only talking about starting production toward the end of the year and ramping up next year.

The automaker reiterated its planned production capacity of 50,000 units.

We recently reported that an early Tesla Semi customer, Ryder, stated that the electric truck program is experiencing more delays and a price increase described as “dramatic.”

They now expect to take deliveries of their first trucks later in 2026 and said that the price has increased “dramatically,” leading them to scale back their pilot program from 42 to 18 Tesla Semi trucks.

When originally unveiling the Tesla Semi in 2017, the automaker mentioned prices of $150,000 for a 300-mile range truck and $180,000 for the 500-mile version. Tesla also took orders for a “Founder’s Series Semi” at $200,000.

However, Tesla didn’t update the prices when launching the “production version” of the truck in late 2022. Price increases have been speculated, but the company has never confirmed them.

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Vietnamese solar giant Boviet opens first US factory in North Carolina

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Vietnamese solar giant Boviet opens first US factory in North Carolina

Vietnamese solar panel maker Boviet Solar just opened the doors to its first US factory — a huge new PV module plant in Greenville, North Carolina.

The company dropped $294 million into the state-of-the-art facility, which will pump out Boviet’s Gamma Series monofacial and Vega Series bifacial solar panels. They’re using advanced PERC and N-Type solar cell tech, which basically means these panels are built to deliver higher efficiency and better performance across residential, commercial, industrial, and utility-scale projects.

The Greenville factory’s first phase is now online with an annual PV module output capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW). For Phase 2, which is scheduled to come online in the second half of 2026, Boviet will invest another $100 million to add 600,000 square feet and ramp up to another 2 GW. It will make high-efficiency solar cells.

Once both phases are complete, Boviet’s campus will cover more than 1 million square feet of manufacturing and R&D space. It’s one of the biggest clean energy manufacturing projects North Carolina has ever seen.

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The jobs impact is significant, too. The first phase will create 460 skilled local jobs. Phase 2 is expected to add another 908, bringing the total to over 1,300 direct jobs, plus nearly 2,000 more indirect jobs across the region. That’s good news for Pitt County’s economy, real estate market, and workforce training programs.

“This facility is not just creating jobs, but creating opportunity, innovation, and a stronger foundation for eastern North Carolina,” said Senator Kandie Smith. Governor Josh Stein added that Boviet Solar’s move shows how North Carolina is leading the way in clean energy growth.

Read more: Thomas Built Buses debuts its next-gen electric school bus


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