June 9, 2025 – Tesla has firmly held its position among the top five imported car brands in the South Korean market since August last year. At one point, it even climbed to the third spot. However, it has consistently lagged behind the two German luxury automotive giants, Mercedes-Benz and BMW.
According to data released by the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association (KAIDA) and cited by Yonhap News Agency yesterday, a total of 28,189 new imported passenger vehicles were registered in South Korea during May. This marked a year-on-year increase of 16.4% and a month-on-month surge of 31.1%.
Tesla emerged as the leader in sales for the month, with 6,570 units sold. This represented a staggering 354% increase compared to the 1,447 vehicles it sold in April. Following Tesla, Mercedes-Benz secured the second position with 6,415 units, closely trailed by BMW with 6,405 units. Porsche came in fourth with 1,192 units.
In terms of powertrain types, hybrid vehicles accounted for 53.3% of total sales, totaling 15,027 units. Gasoline-powered vehicles made up 11.6% of the market, while diesel vehicles accounted for just 1.2%. Electric vehicles (EVs) held a 33.8% share of the market. Thanks to Tesla’s popularity, EV sales saw a remarkable 62.2% year-on-year increase, with their market share surpassing the 30% mark for the first time.
Notably, the Tesla Model Y was the best-selling vehicle in South Korea during May, with 6,237 units sold. It was followed by the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, which recorded 2,317 sales, and the BMW 5 Series, which achieved 2,092 sales.
