Hyundai Motor and Kia are on track to surpass 10 million cumulative global sales of eco-friendly vehicles by the end of this year, about 18 years after launching their first hybrid models in 2009. By the end of the first half, combined cumulative sales reached 9,229,837 units, with Hyundai Motor, including Genesis, at 4,904,763 units and Kia at 4,325,074. Hybrids remained the largest segment at 5,623,312 units, followed by EVs at 2,794,248, plug-in hybrids at 762,633 and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles at 49,644. First-half eco-friendly vehicle sales rose 22.7% from a year earlier to 1,064,542 units, supporting expectations that annual sales could exceed 2 million units for the first time. The companies' strategy of expanding hybrid offerings while continuing to add EV models has helped offset uneven EV demand, and Hyundai's virtual gear-shift technology has also drawn industry attention as Porsche, Lexus and Mercedes-AMG introduced similar features.