SEOUL— Hyundai Motor Group’s electric vehicle (EV) exports from South Korea to the United States dropped a staggering 88% in the first five months of 2025, as the automaker ramps up local production at its newly built U.S. facility, according to industry data released Tuesday.
Data from the Korea Automobile & Mobility Association (KAMA) shows that Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia shipped just 7,156 EVs to the U.S. from January through May—down sharply from 59,705 units during the same period last year, Yonhap News Agency reported.
Hyundai Motor Co., including its luxury Genesis brand, exported 3,906 units—a year-on-year drop of 87%—while Kia’s exports fell 89.1% to 3,250 units.
This marks the lowest January–May export volume to the U.S. since Hyundai began accelerating its EV strategy in 2021.
The sharp decline is largely attributed to Hyundai’s strategic shift toward localizing EV production in the United States. In the first half of the year, Hyundai completed construction of its dedicated EV manufacturing plant, Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, in Georgia. The facility has already produced 28,957 units of the Ioniq 5 and 4,187 units of the Ioniq 9.
Despite this push, Hyundai and Kia are still facing headwinds in the competitive U.S. EV market. According to Wards Intelligence, the group sold 44,555 EVs in the U.S. during the first half of 2025—a 28% decline compared to the same period last year.
Looking ahead, the outlook may be even more challenging. Industry analysts warn that the scheduled expiration of U.S. EV tax credits in September—under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, spearheaded by President Donald Trump—could further dampen sales.
A recent report by the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) estimates that Hyundai Motor Group could lose as many as 45,828 EV unit sales in the U.S. annually due to the policy change, amounting to a potential revenue loss of $1.95 billion. Last year, the U.S. accounted for 36% of Hyundai’s total EV exports. (Source: IANS)
