Hyundai's futuristic VW ID. Buzz electric rival caught on camera
01/12/2025 05:30 PM
The Hyundai Staria people mover is due to add electric power this year, with spy images revealing considerable design changes compared to petrol and diesel models – although it may not look it at first glance.
Hyundai's first electric people mover has been spied undergoing development testing ahead of its formal launch.
The 2026 Hyundai Staria Electric – a battery-powered version of the current petrol and diesel van – was spotted without camouflage and sporting shorter overhangs and wheelbase than the existing model, new images from South Korean outlets Mobility Post and HealerTV reveal.
The front design of the spied electric van looks similar to the current Staria Lounge – a more luxurious variant with a different bumper sold in Korea – but loses its large grille design for a closed-off look, as batteries do not require as much cooling.
Instead, the Staria Electric appears to have an air flap in the centre of the bumper – likely missing an automatic folding cover bound for the production model – while the charging port is positioned at the front of the vehicle, similar to the Hyundai Kona Electric and Inster electric cars.
The design appears to follow the Hyundai ST1 – an all-electric commercial van derivative of the Staria with a separate rear cab chassis, also with a front charging port – but it is not identical.
At the rear, the overhang of the electric vehicle have been shortened compared to petrol and diesel versions of the Staria – however it is unclear if this change will appear in the production model or if it is unique to the test mule, a term given to vehicles at an early development stage.
It also appears to have a smaller tailgate, while the top section of the Staria's LED tail-lights have been removed from the prototype.
MORE: 2026 Hyundai Staria to add electric power – report
The Staria Electric will launch early next year with Hyundai to begin constructing facilities to build the model at its Ulsan plant later this month, according to South Korean media.
It will reportedly share some components with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 electric SUV, including its 84kWh lithium nickel-maganese-cobalt (NMC) battery and 800-volt electrical architecture for ultra-rapid fast charging. This mule’s five-stud wheels – unlike the regular Staria’s six – support this logic.
Hyundai is reportedly targeting 15,000 to 20,000 annual sales of the Staria Electric, compared to around 50,000 for current internal-combustion variants.
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