If you were hoping to pop by your local Hyundai dealership to find a new Ioniq hybrid or plug-in hybrid later this year, you might think that there aren’t as many options as you expected. Hyundai’s Ulsan plant in South Korea is set to stop the production of these two hybrid vehicles in July of 2022. While the U.S. side of Hyundai hasn’t confirmed the news, Hyundai’s European media sites have already said goodbyes.

The End of the Ioniq

While most Hyundai dealership locations only had the Ioniq in stock for a relatively short period, it was only a matter of time before major changes came to this nameplate. The fully electric Ioniq was taken off of the production line for the 2021 model year.

In 2017, Hyundai accomplished something most auto brands never even try to do: it had a new car that comes with three different eco-friendly powertrains: hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and fully electric. These vehicles created stiff competition for other green powertrains out there. In fact, the Ioniq easily surpassed the mpg ratings for the well-known Toyota Prius.

If the Ioniq was doing so well, why would Hyundai pull it from production and make it disappear from Hyundai dealership inventories across the world? The answer is that it didn’t.

The Evolution of the Ioniq

While some see the news about the Ioniq’s end of production as a sign that something was wrong with this car, the opposite is actually true. The Ioniq was such a success that it evolved into its own sub-brand of cars.

Hyundai has announced plans to launch 11 completely new fully electric vehicles by 2030. Anyone who has visited a Hyundai dealership recently has noticed a transition towards more hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicles. Most of the new electric options will have the Ioniq nameplate attached to them.

Most recently, Hyundai released the Ioniq 5. This flagship EV kicks off a strong future of electric Hyundai options. The Ioniq 5 has a 77.4-kWh battery that helps produce 300 horsepower and 446 lb-ft of torque, which is massive for a sedan. While this model won’t be available for another year, drivers are already lining up to be the first people to bring this car home.

Hyundai has also announced the coming Ioniq 6 sedan and Ioniq 7 SUV. There’s not a ton of information available about these two new rides, but it’s clear that Hyundai is looking to compete with brands like Tesla for electric vehicle superiority.

It’s unclear what other vehicles will be released under the Ioniq’s name, but it is clear that Hyundai is swinging for the fences. Some drivers might be sad to see the original Ioniq disappear, but as the band, Semisonic once sang, “every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”