Hyundai And Kia Cheap Electric Cars Successfully Dominate European Markets

Hyundai Motor Group seems to be enjoying the results of their bold strategy, where focus on electric vehicles (EVs) at a more affordable price. Their two flagship brands, Hyundai and Kia, are now dominating the compact electric car segment in Europe and showing great potential to expand global dominance in the near future.

Since its launch at the end of 2024, Kia EV3 has immediately stolen the attention of the European market. This compact electric SUV has succeeded in becoming one of the most popular electric vehicles in the region.

In fact, EV3 is now listed as the UK's best-selling retail EV and ranks sixth across Europe in the first half of 2025. Recent data show that Hyundai Motor Group, which oversees Kia, sells 103,476 compact electric vehicles in Europe from January to September 2025.

Of the total, Kia EV3 leads with 55,514 units sold, making it the main contributor to the surge in sales of the South Korean group's electric vehicle. With impressive sales performance, EV3 is expected to become the best-selling Hyundai Group electric vehicle in Europe by the end of the year, outperforming popular models such as Kona Electric and IONIQ 5.

Not only Kia, but Hyundai also shows its defenses through the Inster EV, a small electric-powered model that was launched simultaneously at the end of 2024. As of September, 20,493 Inster EV units had been sold in Europe, only slightly adrift of Kona Electric which recorded 21,224 units.

With full-scale sales just starting, Hyundai is optimistic that Inster EV will surpass Kona Electric by the end of 2025.

"Inster EV is the best-selling small electric car in Germany until July," said Hyundai German Motor President & CEO Ulrich Mechau, quoted from Electrek, Saturday, October 25.

Seeing this positive momentum, Hyundai Motor Group is targeting sales of more than 200,000 electric vehicles in Europe this year. The ambitious target will be strengthened by the presence of new models such as Kia EV2, EV4, EV5, and Hyundai IONIQ 3, which are scheduled to launch in 2026.

While the United States market may not yet enjoy all the new models, Hyundai and Kia continue to present aggressive price strategies. Kia EV3 is scheduled to launch in the US in 2026, followed by EV4 at an estimated price starting at around $35,000.

On the other hand, Hyundai IONIQ 5 continues to be one of the best-selling EVs in America, side by side with Tesla Model Y, Model 3, 08ernox EV, Honda Prologue, and Ford Mustang Mach-E.

Interestingly, after federal tax incentives ended in September, Hyundai cut the price of IONIQ 5 to 10,000 US dollars for several variants, making the price of the 2026 model now start below $35,000.