Hyundai and affiliate Kia have been included in the world's top 10 electric vehicle makers for the first time after they entered the market in 2012.

The automakers sold a combined 90,860 EVs worldwide last year, ranking eighth in the world, market researcher EV Volumes said last week. They rose dramatically compared to 47,000 in 2017 and 13,000 in 2016.

Sales got a boost from the release of electric versions of their popular SUVs including Hyundai's Kona and Kia's Niro.

Meanwhile, Kia posted increases sales in the U.K. last year, when the local car market contracted amid the Brexit turmoil.

According to data from the U.K.'s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, Kia was in ninth place with sales of 95,764 vehicles there, the only one in the top 10 whose annual sales rose, as sales of new cars in the country fell 6.8 percent to 2.34 million units. Kia has continued to promote models favored in the U.K. such as the Sportage compact SUV and Cee'd compact, while expanding its EV lineup amid tougher emissions restrictions.

Hyundai sold 89,925 cars in the U.K. market, rounding out the top 10.