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Tesla nears 100,000 Korea imports as BYD passes 20,000
Коротко
Imported passenger car registrations in South Korea rose 6.3% year on year in September to 34,904 units, with year-to-date registrations up 24.1% to 279,729, according to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association (KAIDA). Tesla led monthly sales for an eighth straight month with 12,372 units and has 89,148 units for the year, while BYD passed 20,000 cumulative registrations and held fourth place among imported brands. Battery-electric models took 52.1% of September registrations.
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Imported passenger car registrations in South Korea reached 34,904 units in September, up 17.1% from 29,817 in August and 6.3% from 32,834 a year earlier, according to data from the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association (KAIDA) cited by the Electronic Times. Cumulative January-September registrations were 279,729 units, 24.1% higher than the 225,348 units recorded in the same period of 2025. [ 1 ]
BYD registered 2,614 units in September, fourth among imported brands, and 20,137 units over the first nine months, a 578.7% increase from 2,967 units a year earlier, KAIDA data showed. Dong-A Ilbo reported that the September figure was 156.3% above the 1,020 units registered a year earlier but 12.9% below the 3,002 units of August. The Electronic Times said the Dolphin hatchback and Sealion 7 electric SUV have led sales, with cumulative registrations of 8,198 and 7,109 units respectively; Dong-A Ilbo put Dolphin registrations at 1,221 units in September, fourth among all imported models, and Sealion 7 at 753 units, seventh. [ 1 , 4 ]
Tesla led September with 12,372 units, its eighth consecutive month as the top imported brand, the Electronic Times reported. Its cumulative registrations reached 89,148 units, or 31.87% of the imported market, up 104.4% from 43,612 units a year earlier. The outlet said Tesla needs 10,852 more units to pass 100,000 for the year, which it described as near certain and a first for a single imported brand; the Model Y Long Body trim alone registered 8,690 units in September, the best-selling single trim, with the Model Y premium at 2,467 units. [ 1 ]
Among the German brands, BMW registered 6,066 units in September and Mercedes-Benz 5,477 units, placing second and third for the month, according to the Electronic Times. Cumulatively, BMW reached 57,929 units (20.71% share) and Mercedes-Benz 43,249 units (15.46%). [ 1 ]
Battery-electric vehicles made up 52.1% of September registrations at 18,181 units, the Electronic Times reported, and 47.4% cumulatively at 132,582 units. Hybrids including mild hybrids accounted for 43.1% cumulatively, while gasoline was 8.9% and diesel 0.6%. An industry official told the outlet that dominance in the imported car market, long held by German premium brands, is shifting rapidly to Tesla with its large supply volumes and to BYD on value, and that the two brands' milestones show a move toward practical electric models. [ 1 ]
Business outlets carried the BYD milestone prominently. Kukmin Ilbo reported that BYD had passed 20,000 cumulative registrations in South Korea and placed fourth among imported brands, and Dong-A Ilbo reported the same figure and ranking while naming the Dolphin and Sealion 7 as the sales drivers. The Newsis item on the subject carried photo captions rather than article text. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Почему это важно
The data point to a shift in South Korea's imported car market, where two electric-only brands now sit above the long-dominant German premium marques in monthly and cumulative rankings. A first annual 100,000-unit year for a single imported brand, and BYD's rapid climb, would mark a change in which imported brands set the market's volume benchmark.
Ключевые факты
- September imported passenger car registrations in South Korea totalled 34,904 units, up 17.1% from August and 6.3% from a year earlier, KAIDA data showed. [ 1 ]
- Cumulative January-September registrations reached 279,729 units, 24.1% more than the same period a year earlier. [ 1 ]
- BYD registered 2,614 units in September, fourth among imported brands, and 20,137 units in the first nine months, up 578.7% year on year. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Tesla registered 12,372 units in September, its eighth consecutive month at the top of the imported brand rankings, and 89,148 units cumulatively, a 31.87% share. [ 1 ]
- BMW was second in September with 6,066 units and Mercedes-Benz third with 5,477 units. [ 1 ]
- Battery-electric vehicles accounted for 52.1% of September registrations (18,181 units) and 47.4% (132,582 units) cumulatively, while hybrids took 43.1% cumulatively. [ 1 ]
- BYD's September registrations were 156.3% higher than the 1,020 units a year earlier but 12.9% below the 3,002 units registered in August. [ 4 ]
Подтверждено несколькими источниками
- BYD recorded 20,137 cumulative registrations in South Korea in January-September 2026, a 578.7% year-on-year increase, according to KAIDA data. [ 1 , 4 ]
- BYD ranked fourth among imported car brands in South Korea. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- BYD registered 2,614 units in September, placing fourth by brand. [ 1 , 4 ]
- The BYD Dolphin and Sealion 7 are the models driving the brand's sales. [ 1 , 4 ]
Пока неясно
- Tesla's reaching 100,000 cumulative registrations for the year was described as near certain. Only one document states this projection; no second outlet or official source confirms it.
- The Electronic Times' comparison of BYD's two-year path to 20,000 units with the roughly ten years it says Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Tesla needed. This comparison appears in a single document and is not attributed to KAIDA or another source.
- What Newsis reported about BYD's Korean sales. The Newsis item contains only photo captions and no article text, so its specific claims cannot be read.
- BYD's full-year sales outlook in South Korea. No document gives a full-year forecast for BYD; the figures cover January to September only.
Что пишут местные СМИ
Хронология, местное время
- Electronic Times publishes KAIDA's September imported car registration data, including Tesla's eighth straight monthly lead and BYD's 20,137 cumulative units. [ 1 ]
- Kukmin Ilbo reports BYD's cumulative sales passing 20,000 in South Korea and its fourth-place ranking among imported brands. [ 2 ]
- Newsis publishes an item on BYD's Korean sales carrying photo captions rather than article text. [ 3 ]
- Dong-A Ilbo reports the same KAIDA figures, adding that BYD's September registrations rose 156.3% year on year but fell 12.9% from August. [ 4 ]