Hyundai’s green car Ioniq to hit U.S. market in Q3

Hyundai Motor will roll out its first full-on “green car,” the Ioniq, in the U.S. market in the third quarter of the year, Automotive News reported Monday. 

The U.S. media outlet quoted Hyundai Motor America CEO Dave Zuchowski as saying the company will bring the hybrid and all-electric versions of its Ioniq five-door hatchback in the third quarter to the market. The plug-in hybrid electric vehicle version will follow the suit in the future.

A Hyundai spokesman refused to confirm the date but said that Ioniq will hit the U.S. market as scheduled.

According to Korea Automotive Research Institute, a total of 2.21 million units of green cars are expected to be sold around the globe this year, a 17.2 percent up from 2015. The largest market is Japan, but the U.S. is showing a remarkable growth thanks to the government regulation and nurturing policies. More than 22 models of green cars are expected to debut this year in the U.S. alone.

Hyundai announced in 2014 that it would release 22 models of green cars by 2020, and see 10 percent of its entire sales generated by eco-friendly cars. The company expects to sell 15,000 units of Ioniq HEV at home and 62,000 more abroad next year, once the production and marketing settles.

Hyundai is also set to pierce the U.S. luxury sedan market with its upscale G90 sedans scheduled for the U.S. rollout in the latter half of the year. Having sold more than 15,000 units within a month from the launch in Korea, the company expects similar records in the world’s largest luxury car market.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)