Hyundai making electric re-entry into Japanese market

More than 12 years after withdrawing from the Japanese market, Hyundai Motor Corporation is planning a return but only with a focus on electric vehicles.

According to Reuters, online orders for the Hyundai Ioniq 5 battery electric vehicle (BEV) and the Hyundai Nexo fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) will commence in May.

It says at a launch event in Tokyo, the head of Hyundai Mobility Japan, Shigeaki Kato, told members of the audience that the brand had not set a sales target.

Kato told Reuters that Hyundai will focus on online sales as well as partnering with a car sharing service, and an insurance provider which allows private car owners to rent out their vehicles for casual hire.

More than 20,000 electric vehicles were sold in Japan last year, and of those more than 8,610 were imported according to the Japanese Automobile Importers Association.

Fewer than 800 Hyundai vehicles are found on the roads in Japan says Hyundai Motor Corporation chief executive Jaehoon Chang who has publically apologised for the brand’s market withdrawal more than 12 years ago.