EVs on path to overcome chasm in Korea

Korea’s electric vehicle market is showing signs of growing beyond early adopters as used EVs gain demand and domestic sales rise. From January to September, used all-electric cars sold faster than internal combustion engine vehicles, while EV sales in the first nine months exceeded the total for 2025. Competitively priced Tesla and BYD models have helped drive the shift, but charging inconvenience, vehicle prices, battery performance and resale-value concerns remain barriers. An industry official said price stabilization and expanded charging infrastructure could make wider adoption increasingly difficult to avoid.

K Car said used all-electric cars took an average of 81 percent as long to sell as internal combustion engine vehicles during January-September.

EVs made up a share of K Car’s total used-car sales approximately 32 percent higher than in the same period a year earlier.

The Korea Automobile and Mobility Association reported approximately 297,000 domestic EV sales in the first nine months, compared with 220,000 for all of 2025.

The article attributes rising interest in EVs to higher fuel costs and growing interest in environmentally friendly vehicles.

Published Oct 29, 2026 7:00 am KST

High prices, infrastructure gaps remain key barriers to mass EV adoption

Genesis GV90 all-electric SUVs are displayed at its showroom in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Oct. 8. Courtesy of Genesis

Korea’s electric vehicle (EV) market is showing clear signs of crossing the chasm before mass adoption, as lower-cost models and surging fuel expenses make EVs increasingly attractive to consumers.

The trend is seen in the increasing demand for used EVs. Their growing popularity could also help ease concerns over resale values — which was considered one of the longstanding obstacles blocking widespread EV adoption.

As demand strengthens and prices stabilize, prospective buyers may become less wary of losing money when selling their vehicles, potentially supporting further growth in new EV sales.

According to K Car, the country’s major used car sales platform, used all-electric cars took an average of 81 percent as long to sell as internal combustion engine vehicles during the January-September period. In other words, used EVs sold 19 percent faster than their gasoline- and diesel-powered counterparts.

EVs also accounted for a share of K Car’s total used car sales that was approximately 32 percent higher than a year earlier during the same period, indicating that consumer interest is gaining traction in the secondhand market as well.

The trend is attributable to rising fuel costs and growing interest in environmentally friendly vehicles.

The momentum is also evident in the new vehicle market. According to the Korea Automobile and Mobility Association, the number of domestic EV sales reached approximately 297,000 units in the first nine months combined, surpassing the 220,000 units sold throughout 2025.

BYD Korea’s Dolphin compact electric hatchback / Courtesy of BYD Korea

The rapid growth comes as Tesla and China's BYD expand their presence in Korea with competitively-priced models. Their growing sales have helped accelerate the shift toward EVs, challenging the perception that high prices and limited consumer acceptance would keep the market in a prolonged period of sluggish demand.

However, the transition remains incomplete. Charging inconvenience, vehicle prices and concerns over battery performance and resale values continue to weigh on some potential buyers, suggesting that the market has yet to reach full mainstream adoption.

An industry official said the complete transition to an all-electric market would still take time, but that continued price stabilization and infrastructure expansion would make wider adoption increasingly difficult to avoid.

“Consumers are still going through a transition period due to factors such as charging inconvenience and high vehicle prices,” the official said. “But as EV prices stabilize and charging infrastructure expands further, it will be difficult to avoid EVs becoming mainstream before long,” the official said.

The growing turnover of used EVs offers an additional sign that consumer acceptance is expanding beyond early adopters. If stronger demand helps support resale values, it could create a reinforcing cycle in which greater confidence in the secondhand market encourages more consumers to consider buying new EVs.

Oil price hike boosts demand for mini cars, compact EVs

随着二手电动汽车需求增长和国内销量上升，韩国电动汽车市场正展现出超越早期用户的蓬勃发展迹象。今年1月至9月，二手纯电动汽车的销售速度超过了内燃机汽车，而前九个月的电动汽车销量已超过2025年的总销量。特斯拉和比亚迪等价格极具竞争力的车型推动了这一转变，但充电不便、车辆价格、电池性能和二手车残值等问题仍然是阻碍电动汽车普及的因素。一位业内人士表示，价格稳定和充电基础设施的完善将使电动汽车的广泛普及势头更加强劲。

K Car表示，1月至9月期间，二手纯电动汽车的平均销售时间比内燃机汽车短81%。

电动汽车在 K Car 二手车总销量中所占份额比上年同期增长了约 32%。

韩国汽车与移动出行协会报告称，前九个月韩国国内电动汽车销量约为 29.7 万辆，而 2025 年全年销量预计为 22 万辆。

文章将人们对电动汽车日益增长的兴趣归因于燃料成本上涨和人们对环保型汽车的兴趣日益浓厚。

发布于2026年10月29日韩国时间上午7:00

高昂的价格和基础设施不足仍然是电动汽车大规模普及的主要障碍。

10月8日，捷恩斯（Genesis）GV90纯电动SUV在位于京畿道龙仁市的展厅展出。图片由捷恩斯提供。

韩国电动汽车市场正明显展现出跨越大规模普及鸿沟的迹象，低成本车型和不断上涨的燃料费用使得电动汽车对消费者越来越有吸引力。

这一趋势体现在二手电动汽车需求的不断增长上。电动汽车日益普及也有助于缓解人们对二手车残值的担忧——这曾被认为是阻碍电动汽车广泛普及的长期障碍之一。

随着需求增强和价格趋于稳定，潜在买家在出售车辆时可能不再那么担心赔钱，这可能会进一步促进电动汽车新销量的增长。

据韩国主要二手车销售平台K Car的数据显示，今年1月至9月期间，二手纯电动汽车的平均销售速度比燃油车快81%。换句话说，二手电动汽车的销售速度比同级别的汽油和柴油动力汽车快19%。

电动汽车在 K Car 二手车总销量中所占份额也比上年同期增长了约 32%，这表明消费者对二手车市场的兴趣也在不断增强。

这一趋势可归因于燃油成本上涨和人们对环保型汽车日益增长的兴趣。

这一势头在新车市场也显而易见。据韩国汽车与移动出行协会统计，今年前九个月韩国国内电动汽车销量累计达到约29.7万辆，超过2025年全年22万辆的预期销量。

比亚迪韩国Dolphin紧凑型电动掀背车 / 图片由比亚迪韩国提供

随着特斯拉和比亚迪凭借极具竞争力的价格车型在韩国扩大市场份额，电动汽车市场也迎来了快速增长。它们的销量增长加速了韩国向电动汽车的转型，打破了此前人们认为高昂的价格和有限的消费者接受度将导致市场长期需求低迷的固有观念。

然而，这一转变仍未完成。充电不便、车辆价格以及对电池性能和转售价值的担忧仍然阻碍着一些潜在买家，这表明市场尚未完全普及。

一位业内人士表示，全面过渡到纯电动市场仍需时日，但价格持续稳定和基础设施不断扩张将使更广泛的普及变得越来越难以避免。

“由于充电不便和车辆价格高昂等因素，消费者目前仍处于过渡期，”该官员表示。“但随着电动汽车价格趋于稳定，充电基础设施进一步完善，电动汽车很快成为主流已成定局，”该官员说道。

二手电动汽车周转率的不断攀升进一步表明，消费者对电动汽车的接受度正在扩大，不再局限于早期用户。如果强劲的需求有助于支撑二手车价格，那么这将形成一个良性循环：消费者对二手车市场的信心增强，从而鼓励更多消费者考虑购买新电动汽车。

油价上涨提振了对微型车和小型电动汽车的需求。