The sales of electric vehicles (EVs) in South Korea surged to 125,100 units, a remarkable increase of 73% compared to 71,972 units sold in the previous year. Even amidst semiconductor supply challenges, brands are actively launching electrified models, accelerating the shift towards a fully electric vehicle era.
From January to September, domestic electric vehicle sales reached 99,929 units, marking a 79.4% rise from 55,684 units sold in the previous year. Hyundai emerged as the leading brand with sales of 50,925 units, a 75% increase from 29,034 units the year before. The best-selling model remains the Ioniq 5, which saw sales of 22,599 units, up 46% from the previous year’s 15,467 units. The Porter EV also made its mark with 16,463 units sold, reflecting a 39% growth.
In the imported electric vehicle market, Tesla continues to dominate. With 13,032 units sold, Tesla experienced a 20% decrease from 16,288 units sold in the same period last year, yet remains a formidable player. As of September, Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y have sold 6,960 units and 6,072 units respectively, establishing a strong presence.
The battle for the second and third spots is a fierce competition between Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Both brands are aggressively expanding their electrified lineups under their respective brands, Mercedes-EQ and i. BMW emerged as the brand with the most electric vehicle sales, tallying 2,973 units this year. The best-selling model was the electric sedan i4, with 1,460 units sold.
Mercedes-Benz sold 2,664 units, closely following BMW. The best-selling model for Benz, the EQA, was recorded at 1,160 units, representing the highest sales among Benz’s electric vehicles. The luxury sedan EQS followed closely with 1,064 units sold.
Additionally, the electric vehicle brand Polestar achieved sales of 2,195 units with its sole model, the Polestar 2, and Porsche recorded 1,015 units sold for the Taycan.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr