Tesla Drives Electric Vehicles to 52% Share as Imported Car Registrations Top 35,000 in September

Tesla Captures 35.5% of Imported Car Market in September

More Than Double the Number of BMW in Second Place

Model Y Alone Reaches 11,421 Registrations

18,181 Electric Vehicles Registered, Accounting for 52.1% of Total

Tesla continues its dominance in the domestic imported passenger car market. In September alone, more than 12,000 Teslas were registered, accounting for over one-third of all imported vehicles. Thanks to Tesla’s strong sales performance, electric vehicles made up more than half of all registrations in the imported car market in September.

According to the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association (KAIDA), the number of newly registered imported passenger cars in September reached 34,904 units, up 17.1% from 29,817 units the previous month and 6.3% higher than 32,834 units in the same month last year. Cumulative registrations for January to September this year totaled 279,729 units, an increase of 24.1% compared to the same period last year.

Tesla Model Y. Tesla official website

By brand, Tesla’s superiority was particularly notable. Tesla registered 12,372 vehicles in September, capturing 35.5% of all imported car registrations, which is more than double the figure for BMW in second place (6,066 units). Mercedes-Benz ranked third with 5,477 units.

Tesla’s cumulative registrations this year stand at 89,148 units, up 104.4% from the same period last year. In particular, the Model Y led the surge in September. The Model Y Long Range (L) recorded 8,690 registrations, while the Model Y Premium registered 2,467 units. Total registrations for the Model Y lineup reached 11,421 units, accounting for 32.7% of all imported car registrations in September. Not only is Tesla’s share outstanding as a single brand, but the dominance of a specific model within the imported car market is also exceptionally high.

Tesla's influence was also prominent in the electric vehicle market. In September, 18,181 imported electric vehicles were registered, accounting for 52.1% of all imported cars. This figure represents a 41.0% increase compared to the same month last year. Cumulative electric vehicle registrations for January to September totaled 132,582 units, up 99.8% year-on-year.

In contrast, hybrid car registrations stood at 13,620 units (39.0%), down 17.9% from the same month last year. Gasoline vehicle registrations were 2,857 units and diesel vehicles registered just 246 units. Together, electric and hybrid vehicles made up 91.1% of all imported car registrations.

Chinese brands continued to gain ground. BYD registered 2,614 vehicles in September, placing fourth behind BMW and Mercedes-Benz. This is a 156.3% increase from the same month last year. Cumulative registrations for BYD this year reached 20,137 units, up 578.7% compared to the same period last year.

By country of origin, European brands (including Germany) accounted for 17,578 units or 50.4%, followed by the United States with 12,604 units (36.1%), China with 2,663 units (7.6%), and Japan with 2,059 units (5.9%). Registrations of Chinese-made vehicles jumped 161.1% year-on-year, while registrations of German-made vehicles fell by 12.7% over the same period.

Jung Yoon-young, Vice Chairman of the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association, stated, "Smooth inventory supply for certain brands, the launch of new models, and aggressive marketing activities have all contributed to these outcomes."

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