South Korea's eco-friendly cars make up half of new registrations in H1 2024

Eco‑friendly vehicles—including battery‑electric, hybrid and hydrogen fuel‑cell models—accounted for 50.4% of all new car registrations in South Korea during the January‑June period, totalling 429,163 of the 851,833 vehicles registered.

Electric‑vehicle registrations jumped 112.6% year‑on‑year to 198,969 units, the only power‑train category to post growth, while the share of gasoline‑powered cars fell below 40% for the first time since 2016. Industry officials said an expanded lineup of models and early disbursement of government EV subsidies helped make eco‑friendly cars mainstream.

U.S. EV maker Tesla became the best‑selling imported passenger‑car brand, delivering 56,139 units and capturing 30.5% of the imported‑car market, a rise of 192% from a year earlier and overtaking German luxury brands.