Chinese-made electric vehicles captured 35% of South Korea's passenger EV market in the first half of 2026, up from 26.8% a year earlier, according to the Korea Automobile & Mobility Association (KAMA).
Total EV registrations reached 198,500 in the period, up 113.6% year on year, of which Chinese-made models accounted for 69,513 units — a 178.7% surge. In practical terms, roughly one in every three EVs sold in Korea in H1 was built in China.
Much of the volume came from Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory (Model Y and Model 3), which supplies the Asia-Pacific and European markets and whose localisation rate exceeds 95%. Beyond Tesla, BYD — which entered the Korean passenger market in 2025 — registered 7,023 units in the first five months of 2026, ranking fourth among import brands behind Tesla, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
The data underscore how quickly Chinese EV makers are penetrating a mature, competition-heavy market long dominated by Hyundai and Kia, aided by Korea's subsidy structure that favours lower-priced models.
Source: Korea Automobile & Mobility Association (KAMA), reported 5 August 2026.
