Tesla, BYD capitalize on Korean automakers' wage strike

Tesla and BYD gained ground in Korea as prolonged labor strikes at major domestic automakers cut August sales of Hyundai Motor, Kia, KGM, Renault Korea and GM Korea by 28.3 percent to 79,601 vehicles. Imported vehicle sales rose 9.2 percent to 29,817 units, led by Tesla and BYD. Hyundai Motor’s domestic sales fell 41.1 percent after partial strikes from July through August disrupted production and deliveries. Domestic carmakers are expected to recover this month after Hyundai Motor and Kia reached wage agreements late last month.

Combined domestic sales by Hyundai Motor, Kia, KGM, Renault Korea and GM Korea fell 28.3 percent year on year to 79,601 vehicles in August.

Hyundai Motor’s domestic sales plunged 41.1 percent to 34,333 vehicles, while Kia’s domestic sales declined 7.6 percent to 40,213 units.

Hyundai workers staged partial walkouts from July through August, with cumulative strike time reaching about 60 hours and estimated production losses of roughly 55,000 vehicles.

Imported vehicle sales rose 9.2 percent to 29,817 units, with Tesla selling 10,400 vehicles and BYD selling 3,002.

BYD debuted in Korea in January 2025, and its Dolphin electric hatchback was its best-selling model last month.

Published Sep 6, 2026 11:44 am KST

Hyundai Motor, Kia expected to see sales recovery in September following wage deal

The BYD logo is displayed at the Beijing Auto Show on April 25, 2024. AFP-Yonhap

Tesla and BYD are gaining ground in Korea, filling the void created by prolonged labor strikes at major domestic automakers in August.

Combined domestic sales by Hyundai Motor, Kia, KGM, Renault Korea and General Motors (GM) Korea fell 28.3 percent from a year earlier to 79,601 vehicles last month, according to data from the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association (KAIDA). All the five carmakers reported year-on-year declines.

Hyundai Motor was hit particularly hard, with domestic sales plunging 41.1 percent to 34,333 vehicles. Production disruptions caused by a series of partial strikes by its union weighed heavily on vehicle output and deliveries.

Hyundai workers staged partial walkouts from July through August, with the cumulative strike time reaching about 60 hours. This is estimated to have caused production losses of roughly 55,000 vehicles.

Kia fared better, but its domestic sales still declined 7.6 percent to 40,213 units. The automaker was also affected by the strike and reduced production days during the summer vacation season.

The fall in sales shows that supply-side disruptions played a significant role in August's sales decline.

Imported vehicle sales, however, rose 9.2 percent to 29,817 units in August. Tesla and BYD accounted for much of the increase, highlighting a growing shift in Korean consumer demand toward price-competitive electric vehicles (EVs).

The Tesla logo is seen on a Model Y during Tesla's official launch in Bogota, Colombia, November 20, 2025. Reuters-Yonhap

Tesla sold 10,400 vehicles in August, while BYD sold 3,002. Their combined sales of 13,402 units accounted for about 45 percent of total imported car sales.

Tesla alone captured roughly one-third of the imported car market, while BYD continued to rapidly expand its presence despite being a relatively new entrant to the Korean market, having debuted here in January 2025. Tesla’s sales were driven by its China-made Model Y EV, while BYD’s Dolphin electric hatchback was the company's best-selling model last month.

The figures show a structural shift in Korea’s imported car market, which has traditionally been dominated by premium German brands such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Rather than broad-based growth across imported brands, the August increase was largely driven by strong demand for reasonably-priced EVs.

“Demand for affordable EVs is rapidly growing, and the trend is unavoidable amid the industry’s rapid shift toward electrification,” an official from the auto industry said. “As customers still remain sensitive to EV prices, which are relatively higher than typical vehicles with internal combustion engines, price-competitive EVs are gaining growing traction here.”

However, domestic carmakers are expected to increase their sales this month as Hyundai Motor and Kia reached wage agreements with their unions late last month, easing concerns over additional production disruptions.

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由于韩国主要汽车制造商持续罢工，导致现代汽车、起亚、KGM、雷诺韩国和通用韩国8月份的销量下降28.3%至79,601辆，特斯拉和比亚迪在韩国市场占据了优势。进口车销量增长9.2%至29,817辆，其中特斯拉和比亚迪的销量增长最为显著。现代汽车7月至8月的部分罢工导致生产和交付中断，其国内销量下降了41.1%。上月底，现代汽车和起亚达成工资协议，预计本月韩国国内汽车制造商的销量将有所回升。

8月份，现代汽车、起亚汽车、KGM汽车、雷诺韩国和通用韩国的国内总销量同比下降28.3%，至79601辆。

现代汽车国内销量暴跌 41.1%，至 34,333 辆；起亚汽车国内销量下降 7.6%，至 40,213 辆。

现代汽车工人在 7 月至 8 月期间举行了部分罢工，累计罢工时间达到约 60 小时，估计造成约 55,000 辆汽车的产量损失。

进口汽车销量增长9.2%，达到29817辆，其中特斯拉售出10400辆，比亚迪售出3002辆。

比亚迪于 2025 年 1 月在韩国首次亮相，其 Dolphin 电动掀背车是上个月最畅销的车型。

发布于2026年9月6日上午11:44（韩国标准时间）

现代汽车和起亚汽车预计在9月份工资协议达成后销量将出现复苏。

2024年4月25日，比亚迪标志在北京车展上展出。（法新社-韩联社）

特斯拉和比亚迪在韩国市场迅速崛起，填补了8月份韩国主要汽车制造商长期罢工造成的市场空白。

根据韩国汽车进口商和经销商协会（KAIDA）的数据，现代汽车、起亚汽车、KGM韩国、雷诺韩国和通用汽车韩国（GM韩国）上月合计国内销量同比下降28.3%，至79,601辆。这五家汽车制造商的销量均出现同比下滑。

现代汽车受到的冲击尤为严重，其国内销量暴跌41.1%，至34,333辆。工会发起的一系列部分罢工导致生产中断，严重影响了汽车的产量和交付。

现代汽车工人在7月至8月期间举行了部分罢工，累计罢工时间约60小时。据估计，这造成了约5.5万辆汽车的产量损失。

起亚汽车表现稍好，但其国内销量仍下降7.6%，至40213辆。这家汽车制造商也受到罢工的影响，并在暑假期间减少了生产天数。

销售额下降表明，供应方面的中断在8月份的销售额下降中起到了重要作用。

然而，8月份进口汽车销量增长9.2%，达到29817辆。特斯拉和比亚迪的销量增长占据了很大一部分，凸显了韩国消费者需求正日益转向价格具有竞争力的电动汽车。

2025年11月20日，特斯拉在哥伦比亚波哥大举行正式发布会，图为Model Y车型上印有特斯拉标志。（路透社-韩联社）

特斯拉8月份售出10400辆汽车，比亚迪售出3002辆。两家公司合计销量为13402辆，约占进口汽车总销量的45%。

特斯拉一人就占据了进口车市场约三分之一的份额，而比亚迪虽然进入韩国市场的时间相对较短（2025年1月才首次亮相），但其市场份额仍在快速扩张。特斯拉的销量主要得益于其中国制造的Model Y电动汽车，而比亚迪的海豚电动掀背车则是该公司上个月最畅销的车型。

数据显示，韩国进口车市场结构发生转变，该市场传统上由宝马和奔驰等德国高端品牌主导。8月份的增长并非源于所有进口品牌的全面增长，而是主要得益于市场对价格合理的电动汽车的强劲需求。

一位汽车行业人士表示：“消费者对价格适中的电动汽车的需求正在迅速增长，随着汽车行业快速向电气化转型，这一趋势不可避免。由于消费者仍然对电动汽车的价格比较敏感（电动汽车的价格相对高于传统的内燃机汽车），因此价格具有竞争力的电动汽车在这里越来越受欢迎。”

然而，由于现代汽车和起亚汽车上月底与工会达成工资协议，缓解了人们对进一步生产中断的担忧，预计本月国内汽车制造商的销量将有所增长。

比亚迪电动汽车的优势源于其电池技术实力。

比亚迪韩国希望通过插电式混合动力汽车的销售来弥补补贴排除的影响

丰田和比亚迪在插电式混合动力汽车市场的扩张前景乐观