Hyundai Motor to unveil China-dedicated Ioniq EV at Auto China 2026

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Hyundai Motor to unveil China-dedicated Ioniq EV at Auto China 2026

Published: 23 Apr. 2026, 09:43

SARAH CHEA
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Hyundai Motor will unveil a China-dedicated Ioniq EV at Auto China 2026, set to kick off on Friday, aiming to catalyze a long-elusive inflection point in a market that has struggled for a decade.

With EV demand softening in Europe and the United States, China has become an indispensable arena for Hyundai — the world’s largest EV market, where sales continue to remain relatively robust.

The Korean automaker will unveil the Ioniq brand’s first mass-produced model for the Chinese market at the 2026 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, running from Friday through May 3, as well as its strategies to transit to a New Energy Vehicle (NEV) brand, a classification widely used in China, denoting vehicles powered by alternative energy sources in place of internal combustion engines, including EVs, hybrids and hydrogen cars.

Hyundai will equip the new model with autonomous driving technology developed by the local firm Momenta. It has also discussed with CATL on battery technologies while joining hands with Sinopec to advance a hydrogen ecosystem.

Hyundai Motor's concept car for its Ioniq EV brand, which will be launched for the Chinese market. [NEWS1]

An Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV) is slated for debut in China next year, tailored to the country’s long-distance travel patterns and charging infrastructure. An EREV operates primarily on battery power but, for longer journeys, uses a fuel-powered generator to recharge the electric motor, extending driving range without relying solely on external charging.

Buoyed by robust government support and led by domestic brands such as BYD and Geely, China’s EV market has been growing at a rapid pace, where NEVs now account for 54 percent of new car sales.

Hyundai, which first entered the Chinese market in 2002, is seeking an ambitious comeback after its sales plunged due to conflicts over Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems in 2016 that sparked a consumer boycott of Korean goods.

Before the boycott, Hyundai and Kia held around 10 percent of market share, placing them as the big three with Volkswagen and General Motors. But the share dropped to just above 0.8 percent as of 2025.

Hyundai CEO José Muñoz said he plans to launch 20 China-dedicated models over the next five years, targeting sales of 500,000 units by 2030, in a new strategy called “In China, For China, To Global,” specified in a letter to shareholders last month.

Kia also introduced the EV5 at the Chengdu Motor Show in 2023 and is now being mass produced at its Yancheng plant. The cars are also exported to Latin America and Australia.

BY SARAH CHEA [[email protected]]