A cable is connected to a Volvo AB XC40 electric sports utility vehicle displayed at the EV Trend Korea exhibition in Seoul in March 2022. - Bloomberg
SEOUL: Electric cars accounted for 9.3% of newly purchased cars in South Korea last year, data shows, hovering above that of other major counterparts, including the United States and Japan.
Electric vehicles (EVs) took up 162,507 of 1.74 million cars sold in South Korea in 2023, according to the data compiled by the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry. The ratio marked a significant rise from just 1.9% tallied in 2019.
The figure, however, fell slightly from 9.7% posted in 2022, apparently reflecting the growing concerns over the lack of charging infrastructure and higher costs.
Last year, EVs accounted for 22.2% of around 30 million cars sold in China, on the back of Beijing’s aggressive move to bolster the sales by providing tax cuts and other discounts.
The United States, meanwhile, saw EVs take up 7.2% of its domestic automobile sales, trailed by Japan with 2.9% and India with 2.1%. — The Korea Herald/ANN
