In the first half of this year, one out of every two new cars sold in Korea was an eco-friendly vehicle. This is the first time the share of eco-friendly cars has exceeded half on a first-half basis.
According to Kaizuyu Data Research Institute on the 12th, the number of new car registrations in Korea from Jan. to Jun. (including commercial vehicles, excluding trailers) totaled 851,833, up 1.4% from a year earlier.
By fuel type, gasoline accounted for 331,814 units (39.0%), hybrids 227,019 (26.7%), and electric 198,969 (23.4%). LPG (63,142 units; 7.4%), diesel (27,410; 3.2%), and hydrogen (3,175; 0.4%) followed.
In particular, eco-friendly vehicle sales combining hybrids, electric, and hydrogen reached 429,163 units, accounting for 50.4% of the total. The share of eco-friendly cars was only 9.1% (85,717 units) in the first half of 2020, but this year it surpassed 50% for the first time.
The explosive growth in eco-friendly vehicle sales in the first half of this year was led by electric cars. They surged 112.6% from a year earlier, the only major fuel type to increase. Gasoline and hybrid sales fell 14.6% and 0.6%, respectively.
By brand in the electric vehicle market, imports such as Tesla and BYD made strong gains. Kia held the top spot with 70,386 units, up 152.4% from last year, while Tesla jumped 192.1% to 56,147 units, overtaking Hyundai Motor (37,014 units; up 42.5%) for second place. BYD sold 11,760 units to rank fourth.