Hyundai's electric vehicle sales surge significantly in 2026, with Elexio, Inster, Ioniq 5 and Kona SUVs all scoring a BYD-rivalling boost

A major brand in Australia has picked up its electric vehicle game in 2026.

Hyundai has seen its EV numbers boom in Australia as it receives increased supply and orders.

Supply (including unsold and pre-built stock) of its SUVs, including the Inster, Kona Electric, Elexio and Ioniq 5 have all risen by at least 50 per cent comparing Q1 to Q2.

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Supply of the Inster compact SUV is up 204 per cent, while the Kona Electric has risen to 315 per cent.

The Elexio and Ioniq also has supply increases of upwards of 55 per cent.

This has coincided with substantial boosts to order numbers between January and February and March and April.

Inster orders rose by 205 per cent, the Kona Electric up 298 per cent, with the Ioniq 5 up 187 per cent.

2026 Hyundai Inster

The Kona Electric had previously lagged significantly behind petrol and hybrid variants of the car on the sales charts, but this latest data shows it is catching up quickly.

It's a positive boost for the Korean brand, which has previously been embattled by more affordable electric rivals from the likes of BYD and MG.

Hyundai’s Australian Director of Sales David Rodda said confidence in buying EVs has increased substantially in recent times.

2026 Hyundai Kona Electric

"Anyone who was previously only considering an EV as a future purchase is now completely confident in making that decision, given the benefits of ownership,” Rodda said.

"Hyundai Australia has secured a 158% supply increase of EVs for quarter two to meet this unprecedented level of demand.

“These vehicles will start to arrive from May due to the fast supply chain out of Korea. We are confident in securing equally strong support from the factory for the rest of the year."

This EV sales spike is a welcome boost for Hyundai, following the announcement of the results for the first round of the National Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES).

The brand incurred more than 84,000 liabilities for the 2025 NVES performance period, which was one of the highest, behind only Nissan, Subaru and Mazda.

It is not just EVs which are tracking nicely for Hyundai, with hybrids also gaining increased attention, according to Rodda.

"Hyundai also grew hybrid orders from 3,049 in February to 3,966 in March, a 30% increase. In fact, 57% of Hyundai Australia's orders in March were for hybrids - that's the biggest percentage ever for us, and the highest in the Australian industry."

Hyundai is also planning to bring in new EV models in the coming months, most notably the Staria commercial van and the Ioniq 3 hatch.

The latter will be officially revealed globally soon and is confirmed for arrival in Australia, likely as an electric replacement for the gap left by the discontinuation of the previously-popular i30 hatchback.