Tesla and BYD Sweep Imported Car Market, Account for 45% of August Sales

August Imported Passenger Car Sales by Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association

EVs Account for 51%... Diesel Just 0.6%

The presence of electric vehicles (EVs) is rapidly growing in the domestic imported passenger car market. Last month, more than half of imported passenger cars sold were EVs, with electric vehicle brands such as Tesla and BYD dominating the top sales rankings.

According to the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association (KAIDA) on September 3, the number of newly registered imported passenger cars in August 2026 was 29,817 units. This represents a 3.7% decrease compared to the 30,976 units recorded in the same month last year. Compared to July’s 30,976 units, it also fell by 3.7%.

BYD Searian. BYD

Although monthly sales declined, cumulative sales volume for the year remains robust. From January to August, total registered imported passenger cars reached 244,825 units, up 27.2% from 192,514 units in the same period last year.

The performance of electric vehicles in August was especially remarkable. Of the imported vehicles registered in August, EVs accounted for 15,183 units, representing 50.9% of the total. Compared to August last year, when 10,855 EVs made up 39.8% of imported cars, sales rose by 39.9% and market share increased by 11.1 percentage points. Accumulated from January to August this year, EVs made up 114,401 units or 46.7% of all imported cars, soaring 114.0% compared to 53,468 units in the same period last year.

Tesla sits at the center of the EV market. Tesla sold 10,400 units in August, securing an overwhelming first place among imported auto brands. Its share of the total import car market stood at 34.88%. Compared to 7,974 units in August last year, sales increased by 30.4%.

The sales of Tesla’s flagship Model Y were also dominant. In August, 7,490 units of the Model Y Premium trim were registered, making it the top-selling individual trim, while the Model Y Long Range followed with 1,746 units, ranking second. In total, Model Y accounted for 9,638 units, representing the highest number among all single models of imported vehicles for August.

The growth trajectory of China’s electric vehicle brand BYD is also notable. BYD sold 3,002 units in August, accounting for 10.07% of the entire imported car market. This marks a dramatic 713.6% increase from the 369 units sold in August last year. Its cumulative sales for the year also surged to 17,523 units, an 800.0% jump from 1,947 units during the same period last year.

BYD's key models also ranked high in the monthly sales charts. Dolphin recorded 1,115 units, Searian 7 sold 819 units, and Searian 6 DM-i sold 500 units. In terms of model-specific sales rankings, Dolphin and Searian 7 ranked fourth and fifth, respectively.

In contrast, conventional internal combustion engine-focused imported car brands struggled. BMW came in second with 6,180 units but declined by 4.3% year-on-year, while Mercedes-Benz dropped by 6.8% to 4,037 units. Audi and Volvo also fell by 35.9% and 41.4%, respectively.

As the share of EVs rapidly increases in the imported car market, the competitive landscape among brands is changing. Whereas the import car market was previously dominated by premium German brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, Tesla’s large-scale sales and the rapid expansion of BYD’s market share are shifting the focus toward electrification.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.