electromobility

Hyundai sees itself changing. From being a pure car manufacturer, the brand is making its way to becoming a mobility provider. These include not only leasing models, car subscriptions and, in the future, air taxis, the Koreans also have their sights set on the fleet business in Germany.

Hyundai has been represented in Germany for 32 years. After the start, even Hyundai spokesman Bernhard Voss admits that the very manageable model range was still made up of rather bulky boxes. The main incentive to buy was the low price. The company had previously only been founded in 1967 in the South Korean capital of Seoul. The first proprietary model, the 1975 Pony, was indeed a utilitarian rather than a formal car.

But at the latest with the focus on electric mobility, Hyundai has conquered a technological top position in the market. The 800-volt technology, previously only offered in the upper price segment, should soon become affordable for everyone and also be used in smaller vehicles. This is a particularly important argument for commercial vehicles, as many companies shy away from purchasing battery-electric cars because of the long charging times. High-voltage technology, on the other hand, allows a battery to be charged in just a few minutes. Sales of commercial Hyundai vehicles with alternative drives are currently 62 percent, 44 percent are electric cars, 18 models with a plug-in hybrid.

Tobias Krumnikl, Head of Commercial Customers and Used Car Strategy at Hyundai, sees this as the greatest advantage for use as a company car in trade and commerce. Already in 2022, the market share for commercially registered vehicles was 2.5 percent, while in 2014 it had only reached 1.5 percentage points. In absolute terms, Hyundai sold 21,590 cars to fleet customers last year. The assurance of continuing to show presence in the small and very small car segment also increases the brand’s chances with commercial customers. Because while manufacturers like Ford will soon give up in precisely these classes and have pushed small cars like the Ford Ka to the same level, the i10 and i20 models will continue to have a firm place in the Korean portfolio. This will be of particular interest to nursing and medical services, which are primarily used in urban traffic.

The Frankfurt Eintracht, whose sponsors include Hyundai, has already sold around 100 vehicles, 85 percent of them with an alternative drive. The series should also retain their attractiveness with a formal revision. The fuel cell SUV Nexo will get a facelift in 2023, as will the business van Staria. A special program is also being set up for the event, which is intended to appeal to the hotel industry. The German importer does not want to reveal when the lavishly equipped spacecraft will also be offered with a fuel cell, as announced. (awm)