Hyundai and Kia achieved record-breaking sales of hybrid vehicles (HEVs) in the U.S. market last month. Hyundai Motor Group announced on November 4th (KST) that Hyundai (including Genesis) and Kia sold a combined 147,613 units in the U.S. in October, marking a 17.4% year-on-year increase.

Hyundai saw an 18.3% rise in sales to 78,705 units, while Kia sold 68,908 units, up 16.5%. Genesis also experienced a 20.6% increase, with 6,903 units sold.

Despite challenges such as the uncertainties surrounding the upcoming U.S. presidential election and a temporary slowdown in electric vehicle (EV) demand, both brands posted double-digit growth in individual and combined sales, a strong performance by industry standards.

This October marked the highest-ever combined October sales for Hyundai and Kia in the U.S. Both brands also achieved their best-ever individual October sales in the market.

Hyundai and Kia’s combined eco-friendly vehicle sales surged 52% year-on-year to 31,668 units, with their share in total sales rising 4.9 percentage points to 21.5%. Hybrid vehicle sales jumped by a remarkable 64.9% to 21,679 units, setting a new record.

As a result, hybrid vehicles accounted for a record 14.7% of Hyundai and Kia's total U.S. sales.

Hyundai’s Tucson HEV, the top-selling model in the U.S., led the hybrid sales surge with a 110.1% increase, totaling 6,790 units. Kia’s Carnival HEV also saw high sales of 1,941 units, benefiting from the popularity of the new model.

Despite the challenges in the EV market, Hyundai and Kia sold 9,985 electric vehicles in the U.S., marking a 30.3% increase.