Tesla set a record for the highest monthly sales ever in Korea's imported car market last month. With more than 10,000 units of its flagship sport utility vehicle (SUV) Model Y sold, it also became the first in the imported car industry to log "10,000 units a month for a single model."
On the 7th, the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association (KAIDA) released its "April imported passenger car registration data," showing that Tesla sold 13,190 units last month to keep the top spot for a third consecutive month. It is the highest monthly sales figure ever among imported car brands. Tesla also sold 11,130 units in March, becoming the first imported brand to surpass 10,000 units in a month, and broke that record just a month later.
Other brands followed with BMW (6,658 units), Mercedes-Benz (4,796), BYD (2,023), and Volvo (1,105). BYD ranked fourth in brand sales for the second straight month after March.
By model, Tesla's surge stood out. The Model Y alone sold 10,086 units in April. This is also the first time a single model from an imported brand has topped 10,000 units in monthly sales.
In addition, Tesla's Model 3 ranked second with 2,596 units, and BMW's 5 Series placed third with 1,887. They were followed by the Mercedes-Benz E-Class (1,677) and BYD Dolphin (800), rounding out the top five by model sales.
Buoyed by the Tesla effect, the overall imported car market is also expanding. New registrations of imported passenger cars in April totaled 33,993, up 58.1% from a year earlier. Of these, new electric vehicle registrations reached 18,319, or 53.9%. With high oil prices persisting due to the recent war in the Middle East, the number of consumers showing interest in electric vehicles has been steadily rising.
Jeong Yun-young, vice chairman of the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association, said the market "maintained a favorable trend thanks to strong electric vehicle sales and the new-car effect for some brands."