Hyundai Hybrid Sales Jumped 90% As Gas Climbed Past $4 A Gallon

- High gas prices have supercharged Hyundaiβs hybrid and EV sales.
- Hybrid sales soared 90% in May, while EVs were up 10%.
- Overall sales climbed 3% as Korean brand moved 87,468 units.
The national average price of a gallon of regular gasoline is $4.29 and thatβs up nearly $1.15 from a year ago. However, some states like California are paying over $6 per gallon.
Given the sky-high prices, itβs no surprise that customers are embracing hybrids and even showing renewed interest in EVs. Thatβs certainly the case over at Hyundai, where hybrid sales soared 90% compared to last year. Sonata Hybrid sales were up 250%, while the Santa Fe (30%), Elantra (29%), and Tucson (10%) hybrids also experienced gains.
More: Hyundaiβs Best-Seller Gets Cheaper Hybrids And A New Blackout Model
Electric vehicles also bounced back following the elimination of the federal tax credit last year. In fact, the Ioniq 5 celebrated its best May ever as sales jumped 28% to 5,002 units. The model is now up 16% year-to-date as customers have snapped up 18,395 electric hatchbacks.
The Ioniq 9 is also doing okay as customers bought 1,145 last month. Thatβs not great, but itβs still a 279% increase from this time last year.
Overall, Hyundai sales were up 3% to 87,468 units. This was largely due to the Tucson, which found 20,581 buyers in May. The crossover was followed by the affordable Elantra, which was up 7% to 16,819 units. The Palisade is also proving popular as consumers snapped up 13,089 of them.
As for the losers, theyβre not much of a surprise as Ioniq 6 sales fell 85% to 176 units. Of course, thatβs hardly shocking as the company dropped the mainstream model and the high-performance N variant isnβt on sale in America yet.
The Santa Cruz plunged 41%, while the Venue fell 27%. The latter feels like a relic from a bygone era, while the unibody truck is expected to be living on borrowed time.
Hyundai May 2026 US Sales
| Vehicle | May 26 | May 25 | % Chg | 26 YTD | 25 YTD | % Chg |
| Elantra | 16,819 | 15,741 | +7% | 64,660 | 62,356 | +4% |
| Ioniq 5 | 5,002 | 3,898 | +28% | 18,395 | 15,920 | +16% |
| Ioniq 6 | 176 | 1,197 | -85% | 1,203 | 5,621 | -79% |
| Ioniq 9 | 1,145 | 302 | +279% | 4,001 | 302 | +1225% |
| Kona | 6,036 | 7,779 | -22% | 30,133 | 32,711 | -8% |
| Palisade | 13,089 | 11,207 | +17% | 52,117 | 47,944 | +9% |
| Santa Cruz | 1,785 | 3,031 | -41% | 8,214 | 12,173 | -33% |
| Santa Fe | 11,220 | 11,030 | +2% | 53,621 | 54,848 | -2% |
| Sonata | 8,456 | 6,082 | +39% | 30,108 | 27,891 | +8% |
| Tucson | 20,581 | 19,905 | +3% | 98,031 | 96,932 | +1% |
| Venue | 3,159 | 4,349 | -27% | 12,530 | 12,879 | -3% |