South Korean automotive firm Hyundai is to make its fully-electric Kona model at its plant in the Czech Republic from March, tripling the vehicles availability to customers in Europe. Until now, the Kona Electric has been manufactured in South Korea and exported across the world.
Kona Electric Photo: Hyundai
Hyundai's Czech facility is emerging as the company's overseas production base for eco-friendly vehicles and the company has already said it will produce the Tucson Hybrid and Tucson PHEV at the facility.
Along with beginning the production of the Kona Electric in March, the company will increase existing supply from its Ulsan facility in South Korea, drastically reducing delivery times for European customers.
Since hitting the market in 2018, demand for the Kona Electric has surpassed expectations and Hyundai says that increasing capacity is a response to rising demand for the vehicle.
In 2020, over 80,000 zero-emissions vehicles will be produced for the European market including Kona Electric, IONIQ Electric and the NEXO fuel cell car. Hyundai says that, with this development, it expects to become Europe's biggest provider of zero-emissions vehicles in 2020.
Hyundai Motor Europe President and CEO Dong Woo Choi said: "We are listening to our customers and have made this decision in order to meet the growing demand for our electric vehicles. With more and more people becoming concerned about the impact of their choice of car on the environment, we see a huge potential for EVs in the European market. This reflects our progressive mindset and will reinforce our position as a leader in future mobility."
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