Hyundai Motor to Produce Kona EV at Czech Plant Starting March This Year

Supply Volume Tripled Due to Popularity in European Market
Increased Production at Ulsan Plant

[Asia Economy Reporter Suyeon Woo] Hyundai Motor Company has decided to produce the Kona Electric (EV) at its European forward base, the Czech plant, starting next month to respond to the demand in the European eco-friendly vehicle market.

Hyundai Motor Europe announced on the 5th that it will produce the Kona EV at the Czech plant from March to expand the supply of eco-friendly vehicles in the European region. Hyundai added that it will also increase the production volume of the Kona EV at the Ulsan plant, securing a supply volume for the European market that is three times the existing amount.

Choi Dong-woo, Head of Hyundai Motor Europe Zone, said, "We expect the potential of electric vehicles to grow in the European market, where more and more people are becoming interested in the environment," and added, "This decision was made considering the demand for eco-friendly vehicles from European customers."

Workers are conducting the final inspection of Kona Electric vehicles before shipment on the production line at Hyundai Motor's Czech factory.

Recently, the Kona EV has gained tremendous popularity in Europe, with delivery backlogs of over five months occurring until the end of last year. Among Hyundai's sales of eco-friendly vehicles (hybrid, plug-in hybrid, electric vehicle, hydrogen electric vehicle) in Europe last year, the Kona EV accounted for 21,790 units, or 37%, out of a total of 59,051 units. ▶Refer to Asia Economy, December 16, 2019, page 12

Hyundai plans to sell more than 80,000 zero-emission vehicles, including the electric Kona EV, Ioniq EV, and hydrogen electric Nexo, in the European market this year. This target is about three times higher than the sales of these three models in Europe last year (30,685 units). Additionally, Hyundai plans to strengthen its eco-friendly vehicle lineup in the European market this year by offering various models, including zero-emission vehicles such as electric and hydrogen electric vehicles, as well as 48V mild hybrids, hybrids, and plug-in hybrids.

As of the third quarter of last year, the cumulative European eco-friendly vehicle market, including electric and hybrid vehicles, reached 1,246,179 units, growing by 34% compared to the previous year. Starting this year, due to strengthened emission regulations, automakers will face fines if they fail to meet carbon dioxide emission standards, which is expected to lead to explosive growth in the European eco-friendly vehicle market.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.