• Hybrids and fully electric vehicles helped Hyundai achieve its best-ever first quarter sales on record. It also had its second-best March sales in its history.
• Kia also had a banger Q1 2025, but sales of the EV6 and EV9 declined marginally.
• The hot-streak continues for both the brands, but the real test will begin if the Trump administration’s tariffs go into effect this week. 

March was the second-highest sales month for Hyundai in history. Its first quarter result set a new record, too. The news comes just days after the automaker invited a group of journalists—including Patrick George from InsideEVs—to the opening of its $7.6 billion Metaplant in Georgia. With the new factory, Hyundai aims to accelerate the local production of EVs and hybrids in the U.S.

Plus, there was good news for Hyundai’s other mainstream brand. Kia also had a record quarter, even though its EV sales declined marginally.

Hyundai sold 87,019 vehicles in March, reprsenting 13% year-over-year growth. For the first quarter of 2025, the automaker sold 203,554 units in the U.S., a 10% increase compared to last year. The majority of these sales came from its gas-powered vehicles, but EVs and hybrids contributed to the brand’s growth.

Sales of the Ioniq 5 grew 26% for the quarter. Hyundai sold 8,611 Ioniq 5s between January and March 2025, versus 6,822 units last year. The Ioniq 6 dropped from 3,646 units in Q1 2024 to 3,318 units last quarter, a 9% decline. Total EV sales increased 3%, whereas hybrid sales increased 68% for the quarter.

Hyundai combines the sales of hybrids and gas-only models, so we don’t exactly know how many hybrids the automaker sold beyond that claim. But some of the best-sellers in Q1, across powertrain types, were the Elantra, Tucson and Santa Fe, all of which offer hybrid drivetrains.

Photo by: DW Burnett / Motor1

Hyundai’s EV push is continuing, too. The new U.S.-built 2025 Ioniq 5 is the first non-Tesla EV to get a Tesla-style NACS charging port from the factory. Owners now have access to tens of thousands of Superchargers across the U.S., making road-tripping significantly easier. Deliveries of the three-row Ioniq 9 will begin this spring and that also gets the Tesla charging port built-in.

Kia also witnessed its highest-ever Q1 sales in history. It delivered 198,850 units, a 10.7% growth over last year. Sales of the Carnival grew 53%, whereas Telluride and Sportage deliveries 17% and 11%, respectively.

EVs, on the other hand, didn’t do as well in the first quarter. Sales of the EV9 dropped to 3,756 units in the first quarter from 4,007 units in Q1 2024, marking a 6.2% decline. Sales of the EV6 fell too. Kia sold 3,738 units in the first quarter of this year, compared to 4,059 units in Q1 2024, a nearly 8% fall.

Photo by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs

Production of the EV9 had slowed towards the end of last year due to stricter IRA battery sourcing requirements that became effective in 2025. Kia opted to throttle production until it could get its battery sourcing updated to qualify for the credit. It’s only really starting to ramp up now. Plus, several Hyundai Motor Group EVs have been facing Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) failures, leading to multiple recalls. It’s unclear if the recalls affected production.

The EV6 and EV9 were supposed to get access to Tesla Superchargers at the start of this year with an adapter, but those plans were delayed. So, it’s also possible that some buyers are waiting for that. The 2025 EV6 and EV9 won’t need an adapter, as the NACS charging port will be factory-installed.

Even though Hyundai and Kia’s electrified vehicle sales have been strong recently, the real test is about to begin. The Trump administration’s 25% tariffs on all vehicle components and imported models are expected to start this week, barring any last minute concessions. Nearly 30% of the parts in the U.S.-made Ioniq 5 are imported from Korea, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

If the tariff plans remain intact, expect prices to soar and sales to take a hit, at least in the short term.

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