Electric vehicles accounted for nearly one in five new cars sold in South Korea in August, marking the strongest monthly performance on record as demand for new models lifted sales, industry data showed.
According to Carisyou, 23,000 battery-powered vehicles were registered in August, representing 18.4 percent of total sales of 126,787 units. It was the highest share recorded since the firm began collecting data in 2020.
Cumulative registrations reached 141,986 units for the year, up 48.4 percent from the same period in 2024. Analysts expect South Korea’s annual EV sales to surpass 200,000 units for the first time in 2025.
Imported EVs continued to gain ground, with registrations climbing to 10,855 units in August, nearly 40 percent of the total and more than double compared with a year earlier, according to figures from the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association.
The growth was led by popular new models. Tesla’s updated Model Y has consistently sold more than 6,000 units each month since May, giving it around 30 percent of South Korea’s imported car market.
Tesla also introduced the Cybertruck in the country, its first launch outside North America. Local automakers also contributed, with KG Mobility’s Musso EV electric pickup reaching its annual sales target of 6,000 units within months of launch, while Hyundai and Kia boosted sales with the Casper Electric and EV3.
Source: The Korea Herald