South Korean media: 80% are personal purchases, BYD fires the "first shot" in South Korea! On June 4, South Korean media Maeil Business Newspaper published an article stating that China's electric vehicle enterprise BYD achieved success with sales higher than expected in South Korea in April. Initially, the industry expected difficulties in its initial sales due to negative perceptions of Chinese cars; however, thanks to its cost-performance ratio and curiosity about Chinese cars, sales performed well. In April, the sales volume of BYD ATTO 3 in South Korea was 543 units, of which personal car sales were 433 units, accounting for 79.7%. Corporate vehicles only accounted for 110 units, or 20.3%. Considering that the proportion of corporate vehicles among imported car brands in South Korea is usually around 40%, this is far below the average. Previously, the industry expected BYD's sales to increase through taxis, rental cars, and other corporate borrowings; however, statistics show that personal car ratios remain very high so far. This is seen as a positive signal in the process of a new brand entering the market. A high proportion of personal cars indicates that consumers are indeed satisfied with the vehicle's performance, price, design, etc. A relevant person in charge of BYD Korea said, "The high proportion of personal buyers at the brand's initial stage is a heartening phenomenon, and we hope word-of-mouth spread will bring increased sales in the future." BYD ranked 11th among all imported car brands in April solely on the strength of ATTO 3 sales. This is significant because it was achieved with just one model. The purchasing age range also averages between the 20s and 70s. According to data from the Korea International Auto Importers & Distributors Association, the age group that purchased the most ATTO 3s is those in their 50s, accounting for 32%, followed by those in their 40s at 30%, those in their 60s at 14%, those in their 30s at 12%, and those in their 20s at 8%. The industry believes that with the first entry of Chinese electric vehicles into South Korea, many electric vehicle consumers have purchased ATTO 3. So far, South Korean consumers still have great distrust in Chinese cars; however, as Chinese car sales increase and Chinese enterprises expand, if their competitiveness is proven, the share of Chinese cars in South Korea will likely increase eventually. Relying solely on domestic market sales, Chinese electric vehicle enterprises have set records for the highest global sales, and in recent years, they have also begun to actively move beyond domestic markets to enter overseas markets. In South Korea, after ATTO 3, BYD plans to launch SEAL soon, and SEACOAST 7 will also be launched this year, with plans to release at least one new model annually. Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1834004876230668/ Disclaimer: The article represents the views of the author.