Hyundai Motor’s Ioniq Electric (EV) sold 883 units in the first half of this year, falling more than 80% year-on-year and leaving its position on the Kona EV.
Initially, Hyundai Motor devised a two-track strategy with the Ioniq EV by introducing the Kona EV. While the Ioniq EV targets consumers who operate in urban areas and are reasonable and practical, the Kona EV has set a target audience that can handle long distances. However, demand for the Kona EV is still high due to the purchase characteristics of electric vehicle consumers who consider the longest mileage after a single charge as a major item for purchase. The Kona EV is equipped with a 64kWh battery, and the mileage per charge reaches 406 kilometers, the longest in Korea, while the Ioniq is equipped with a relatively small battery, so the longest mileage stays at 277 kilometers.
“Since the launch of the Kona EV, there have been many concerns about the Ioniq EV and erosion effect,” an official from the finished car industry said. “It is time to find the Ioniq identity as an eco-friendly brand again as the choice is focused on the Kona EV, which is far ahead of the specifications.”
Ioniq Longest Run is Hyundai Motor’s fourth social contribution campaign this year, starting in 2016. It is a program that allows participants to accumulate the distance they run if they download an app dedicated to the campaign and donate it to create a forest for environmental protection. The company is implementing the Ioniq Longest Run with the aim of creating a clean world with the eco-friendly brand “Ioniq.”
The campaign will run for three months from May 24. The app can be downloaded free of charge from Google Play and Apple’s App Store. Those who wish to participate in the app will be able to save as much online as they drove offline.
In addition, the level of SUVs, which is constantly gaining popularity, has also served as a strength. While most electric vehicle options are limited to sedans and hatchbacks, the Kona EV is advantageous in practicality and usability of small SUVs. Hyundai Motor also said, “There were many demands from consumers for expanding mileage, shortening charging time, and classifying SUVs when charging one time.”
What is interesting, however, is that Kia Motors did not have an encroaching effect between vehicles. In the case of Kia Motors’ Soul EV, 1,127 units were sold in the first half of this year, maintaining the level of the previous year (1,139 units). In addition, Niro EV also helped to 3,957 units, raising Kia’s electric vehicle sales to 5,084 units in the first half of this year.
According to Hyundai Motor on the 16th, the number of Ioniq EVs sold decreased from 7,932 in 2017 to 5,606 in 2018 and almost lost their presence to 883 in the first half of this year. Compared to 4,488 units in the same period last year, it is a 80.4% retreat. On the other hand, the Kona EV took the mound in May 2018 and sold 11,193 units in the first half of this year, before recording 7,696 units in the first half of this year. It means that the average monthly sales of 1,300 to 1,400 units have been steady, taking over the position of the Ioniq EV.