Korean Media: One-third of Electric Vehicles Sold in South Korea Are "Made in China"!

On May 8, Korean media outlet Seoul Economic Daily published an article stating that last year, Chinese-made electric vehicles accounted for one-third of the newly registered EV market in South Korea, further expanding their market share. Now, Zeekr has officially announced its entry into the South Korean market, launching a comprehensive challenge to the premium electric vehicle segment.

Data released by the Korea Automotive Mobility and Travel Industry Association shows that a total of 220,177 new electric vehicles were registered in South Korea last year, marking a 50.1% year-on-year increase. Among them, sales of Chinese-made EVs surged by 112.4%, reaching 74,728 units, accounting for 33.9% of the total EV market share in South Korea. This means that out of every three electric vehicles sold in South Korea, one is made in China—highlighting the rapidly growing influence of Chinese electric vehicles in the South Korean market.

This growth is largely driven by the influx of China-made Model Y, as well as the stabilization of domestic brands such as BYD and Polestar. BYD entered the South Korean market in April last year and, through aggressive pricing strategies, had cumulatively sold 8,411 passenger vehicles by March this year.

Notably, BYD Korea set a monthly sales record of 1,347 units in January this year and is actively working to expand its customer base by introducing models like the Dolphin and enhancing the performance of the ATTO 3. Currently, BYD ranks second in South Korea's imported EV market, trailing only Tesla.

Chinese-made vehicles have gained market attention due to their relatively lower production costs, which enhance price competitiveness, while product quality has also seen significant improvements in recent years. It is expected that Chinese EV brands will continue entering the South Korean market this year. However, the expansion of Chinese EVs in South Korea is no longer limited to low-cost models—it is increasingly shifting toward the entry of high-end brands.

In this context, Zeekr has officially announced its entry into the South Korean market. As a premium brand under Geely Group, Zeekr achieved global sales of approximately 220,000 units last year, representing a year-on-year increase of about 40%.

Original Source: toutiao.com/article/1864580985893892/

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