Hyundai Motor is doubling down on its efforts to reclaim relevance in China, the world’s largest auto market, setting an ambitious goal of selling 440,000 vehicles annually by 2030. The strategy, unveiled at Hyundai’s “2025 China Investor Day” in Shanghai on Sept. 23, signals the company’s intent to turn around years of steep declines and reposition China as both a profit center and an export hub.
Hyundai plans to introduce four new models in China next year—two electric vehicles (EVs) and two internal combustion cars—alongside a longer-term rollout of extended-range EVs and next-generation platforms. Leading the charge will be the Ilexio, a China-exclusive compact electric SUV boasting a 435-mile range (CLTC standard), designed with locally sourced parts to ensure price competitiveness. Pre-sale consultations have already begun.
By 2030, Hyundai aims for China to contribute roughly 8% of its global sales target of 5.55 million units. The company also expects electrified models—including hybrids, EVs, and fuel-cell vehicles—to represent 60% of its global lineup, or about 3.3 million units. Hyundai says it will introduce more than 18 hybrid models spanning entry-level to premium segments by the end of the decade.
The move comes after Hyundai’s dramatic fall in China—from 1.14 million units sold in 2016 to just 150,000 in 2023—as local EV champions like BYD and Nio surged ahead. Industry analysts warn that Hyundai’s path back will hinge on localized EVs built on dedicated platforms and aggressively competitive pricing.
Strategically, Hyundai is focusing on the Beijing-Yantai-Shanghai triangle, tailoring electrification and smart-car technologies to local tastes while expanding supply chains that could position China as a global export hub. From 2026, the automaker will add premium EVs, followed by EREVs, new platform-based electrics, and a successor to its Nexo fuel-cell SUV beginning in 2027.
For U.S. investors, Hyundai’s China strategy highlights both risk and upside. Success would mean tapping into a 25-million-unit-a-year market that accounts for nearly 30% of global auto sales, while failure would underscore the brutal competition foreign automakers face against nimble Chinese EV firms.
“The question is whether Hyundai can execute localized EV strategies fast enough,” one analyst said. “If it does, China could become a growth driver again rather than a drag on global performance.”
