Seoul: Eco-friendly vehicles have made a significant impact in South Korea's automotive market, accounting for half of new car registrations in the first half of the year. This shift has largely been driven by a marked increase in electric vehicle (EV) sales, as reported by an auto market tracker on Sunday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, this marks the first time that eco-friendly vehicles have comprised more than half of new car registrations during the January to June period. The CarIsYou Data Research Center, citing government data, noted that registrations of eco-friendly vehicles, which include battery electric, gasoline hybrid, and hydrogen fuel-cell models, reached 429,163 units. This figure represents 50.4 percent of the 851,833 newly registered vehicles in the first six months of the year.
The data underscores a steady rise in the share of eco-friendly vehicles, climbing from 9.1 percent in 2020 to 25.5 percent in 2023 and 38.5 percent in 2025. In contrast, the share of gasoline-powered vehicles decreased to 39 percent in the first half, falling below the 40 percent threshold for the first time since 2016, when it was at 39.9 percent.
The surge in eco-friendly vehicle registrations was chiefly propelled by robust EV sales, which saw a 112.6 percent increase from the previous year, reaching 198,969 units in the first half. This growth positioned EVs as the sole major power train category to register year-on-year growth.
An industry official stated, "An expanded lineup of new models and the early disbursement of government EV subsidies have helped eco-friendly vehicles become mainstream in the domestic auto market."