Celebrating its seventh location in Santa Monica, the LAcarGUY dealership has announced that the latest outlet will be the country’s first standalone showroom focused specifically on Hyundai’s all electric brand, called the Ioniq.
Hyundai Santa Monica will be located at a temporary location (1100 Santa Monica Blvd) through Summer 2023 and will move to its permanent future location at 801 Santa Monica Blvd sometime before October of this year.
"We’re thrilled to add our seventh dealership to the city of Santa Monica and create a destination for environmentally conscious families and individuals to purchase some of the latest in hybrid and EV technology through the Hyundai brand," said LAcarGUY’s CEO Mike Sullivan. "Our group has been a member of this community for nearly 60 years and we’ll continue to be an integral part of it."
The auto industry is a staple for the local economy, generating over 25 percent of the city’s sales tax revenue per quarter, according to the latest available data generated by the City of Santa Monica’s Finance Department. Moreover, 16 of the top 25 sales tax producers in Santa Monica are associated with the auto industry.
"Santa Monica is a very progressive city," Sullivan says. "People here, mostly, welcome change, they like to change and they’re willing to try new things and dare to be different."
According to the Department of Energy, California has the greatest number of electric vehicle registrations (over 500,000) making up approximately 39 percent nationwide. Florida has the second highest count, followed by Texas. Los Angeles also has the highest number of EV drivers (over 17,000), but the San Francisco Bay Area has the most charging stations.
"The opening of Hyundai Santa Monica, which includes a dedicated showroom for our Ioniq electric vehicle lineup, will help us continue to grow sales and market share in the always-important Southern California market," said Randy Parker, CEO, Hyundai Motor America in a statement. "Mike and his team have an impressive track record of delivering an outstanding customer experience that will benefit Hyundai shoppers and owners. As Hyundai aims to be a leader in electrification, this new dealership will help us better reach consumers in one of the largest electric vehicle markets in the country."
The stylish-looking Ioniq 6 starts around the $40,000 price point and offers a range of up to 360 miles, together with some impressive fast-charging features, making it probably the most direct competitor to the Tesla model 3.
Sullivan is a born and bred Santa Monica resident, "I’m almost second generation, but my father moved here when he was two and a half years old," he laughs. Sullivan supports numerous civic organizations, including Heal the Bay, Meals on Wheels West and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica. He’s even competed in the Toyota Long Beach Grand Prix Celebrity Race.
He also prides himself on operating an environmentally-focused car dealership and has won numerous awards for its efforts. Additionally, its Audi Pacific dealership in Torrance is the only LEED Gold-certified Audi dealership in the US.
