There’s a flood of first-place claims. Several imported electric vehicles are vying for the top sales spot, each citing different reporting criteria to assert their dominance. While there is some truth to these claims, the value of being number one diminishes with so many contenders.
Polestar Korea announced that the Polestar 2 topped the sales list for a single electric vehicle model according to the Korea Automobile Importers Association in 2022. Polestar’s sales last year reached 2,794 units. However, this ranking comes with two conditions: it is based on the Korea Automobile Importers Association’s criteria and pertains to a single model. It’s worth noting that Tesla, the titan of the electric vehicle market, is not included in the imported car association’s tally as it is not a member.
Although the Polestar 2 is the top-selling single model by the association’s standard, Mercedes-Benz holds the overall brand title. Mercedes-Benz sold a total of 5,004 units from its entire EQ series, including the EQA, EQB, EQE, and EQS, making it the leading brand in electric vehicle sales, once again excluding Tesla.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s Kaizu index, Tesla’s sales tally reached 14,571 units, a decline of 18% from the previous year’s 17,828 units. The Model 3 alone accounted for 7,323 units sold, while the Model Y followed closely with 7,248 units. If Tesla were to be included, the leaderboard would drastically change.
There are rising voices questioning the distortion of statistics in the imported car market. Critics argue that Tesla’s exclusion from the association skews the statistics presented by the imported car association and diminishes their credibility.
Many contend that the statistics from the imported car association do not accurately reflect the current state of the imported car market.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr