In brief
South Korea’s imported car sales grew 29.3 % in October, reaching 31,117 registrations, as electric vehicles dominated the market. Tesla led foreign‑maker sales with 9,165 units, followed by German luxury brands Mercedes‑Benz, BMW and Volvo. Battery‑electric vehicles comprised 46.4 % of the sales, nearly matching hybrids. The data shows a robust boom in EV demand, though the underlying factors remain unexplored.
South Korea’s imported passenger‑car registrations rose 29.3 percent in October to 31,117, an increase driven by strong demand for electric vehicles and German luxury models, Xinhua reported on Nov. 4.
For the first ten months of 2026, the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association logged 310,846 imported vehicles sold, a 24.6 percent rise compared to the same period a year earlier.
Among foreign brands, Tesla topped sales with 9,165 units, followed by Mercedes‑Benz with 6,744 units, BMW with 5,633 units, Volvo with 1,682 units, and Chinese manufacturer BYD with 1,594 units.
European models dominated the market, with 17,573 vehicles sold in October, representing 56.5 percent of total imports. Market shares for U.S., Japanese and Chinese brands were 30.0 percent, 8.0 percent and 5.5 percent respectively.
By fuel type, battery‑powered electric vehicles accounted for 46.4 percent of sales, hybrids 45.9 percent, gasoline vehicles 6.8 percent and diesel models 0.9 percent.
While the figures illustrate a significant surge in electric vehicle imports, the data do not clarify the motivations behind consumers’ shift toward EVs, nor the potential impact of regulatory or economic developments on the long‑term trajectory of the imported car market.
