Hyundai Australia believes it already has one of the broadest electric vehicle ranges in the market, but says it hasn’t done enough recently to make sure Australian buyers know about it.
Speaking with Fleet News Group at Everything Electric Sydney, Hyundai Motor Company Australia Chief Operating Officer Gavin Donaldson said the brand needs to do a better job of communicating the depth of its EV offering.
“For us, we need to remind the Australian public that we had probably one of the broadest ranges of EVs,” Donaldson said.
“I think over the last couple of years we haven’t really told that story.”
It is a notable admission from a brand that was among the earlier mainstream manufacturers to bring battery-electric vehicles to Australia.
A broad EV range is already on the ground
Hyundai’s stand at Everything Electric demonstrated the point Donaldson was making.
The display included the IONIQ 5, IONIQ 6, IONIQ 9, INSTER, Kona Electric and the newly launched STARIA Load Electric, giving Hyundai coverage across small cars, SUVs and commercial vehicles.
Donaldson said the company sees that breadth as one of its strengths.
“I think we’ve got one of the broadest range of EVs in the country,” he said during the media tour at the show.
For fleet buyers, that matters because electrification is rarely a one-vehicle exercise.
A fleet may need a small vehicle for metropolitan work, an SUV for employees or novated lease buyers, a larger vehicle for executive use and a commercial van for operational duties.
Having multiple vehicle types under one brand can potentially simplify areas such as supplier management, servicing and driver familiarity.
Hyundai wants to put technology back at the centre of the conversation
Donaldson also pointed to Hyundai’s recent EV products as evidence that the company has the technology to compete strongly in the market.
“We do build what I consider world-class leading cars,” he said.
He referred to Hyundai’s recent World Car of the Year recognition as part of that story, arguing that the technology and product depth are already there.
For Hyundai, the challenge now appears to be making sure the market connects those vehicles into a single EV proposition rather than seeing them as individual models.
That is particularly relevant as the Australian EV market becomes more competitive, with new brands and new models arriving regularly.
STARIA Load Electric adds a commercial vehicle to the story
The launch of the STARIA Load Electric gives Hyundai another opportunity to broaden the EV conversation beyond passenger cars and SUVs.
The new van brings an 84kWh battery, up to 450km of WLTP range, more than a tonne of payload and 800V architecture capable of very fast DC charging.
It also gives Hyundai something increasingly important for fleet buyers — a commercial EV that can sit alongside its passenger EV range.
Donaldson described the STARIA Load Electric as an “outstanding commercial vehicle” and pointed to potential applications for trades, food businesses, florists and other mobile operators.
That makes the vehicle more than another EV launch.
It extends Hyundai’s electrification story into a part of the fleet where operational capability, payload and uptime are more important than lifestyle positioning.
Everything Electric was about rebuilding awareness
Donaldson said Hyundai’s presence at Everything Electric was important because the event gave the company an opportunity to put its full EV range in front of buyers.
“I think being part of Everything Electric is vital just to showcase that to the public,” he said.
He also suggested EV buyers are changing.
Rather than simply being early adopters attracted to electrification itself, Donaldson believes more customers are now comparing EVs based on the same things they would consider with any other vehicle — features, specifications and suitability.
That change should favour manufacturers that can offer multiple vehicles across different segments rather than relying on a single hero model.
Novated leasing is part of the opportunity
Hyundai is also seeing increasing EV activity through novated leasing.
Donaldson said the brand has traditionally performed strongly through novated leasing with its internal combustion and hybrid models, while EV demand is now starting to increase.
“We’re starting to see an uptick inside our EVs for Novated Lease,” he said.
He linked that opportunity back to awareness of Hyundai’s broader EV range.
“I think it’s creating more awareness to the Australian public about our broad range of EVs that will then flow through that novated lease benefit,” Donaldson said.
For novated lease buyers, that breadth provides several different entry points into an EV depending on budget, body style and vehicle requirements.
The challenge is no longer simply having an EV
Hyundai’s comments at Everything Electric point to a broader change in the EV market. A few years ago, simply having an electric vehicle in the range was enough to attract attention. That is no longer the case.
Manufacturers increasingly need to explain where their vehicles fit, which customers they suit and why their technology or ownership proposition is different from the growing number of alternatives.
Hyundai believes it already has the product range.
Donaldson’s comments suggest the next challenge is making sure fleet buyers, novated lease customers and the broader market recognise just how much of that range is already available.
“We’ve got the technology, we’ve got the broad range,” he said.
For Hyundai, the EV task now appears to be as much about telling that story as adding another vehicle to the showroom.
