Hyundai Motor Group took third place in the U.S. automotive market in August with a record 12.9% share, moving ahead of Ford’s 12.2% for the first time in about five years. General Motors remained first at around 16%, followed by the Toyota Group at around 15%, while Honda held about 9%. The shift reflects Ford’s prolonged sales declines amid the electric-vehicle (EV) slump and Hyundai Motor Group’s stronger focus on hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), which combine an engine with electric propulsion. Ford’s cumulative January-August share was still higher at 12.5%, compared with Hyundai Motor Group’s 11.8%, but projections indicate the group could close the gap or overtake Ford by year-end. Hyundai, including Genesis, sold 620,025 vehicles in the U.S. during the period, up 2%, while Kia sold 590,377, up 3%, bringing group sales to 1,210,402 units. Ford sold 1,347,147 units cumulatively, down 9.8%. Hyundai Motor Group’s August HEV sales reached a record 50,057 units, up 47.7% year over year, as Ford reported declines across internal-combustion, hybrid and EV categories. The group plans to launch 10 new HEV models by 2030, beginning with the Genesis GV80 Hybrid, and aims for HEVs to account for 50% of sales.