SEOUL, July 20 (Korea Bizwire) — Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) are expanding their presence in South Korea, particularly in the commercial vehicle market.
The number of imported commercial vehicles registered in the first half of this year totaled 4,563 units, with Chinese vehicles accounting for 1,451 units, according to local market tracker CarIsYou.
Shineray’s electric van, ET Van, made its entry into the Korean market last year and achieved impressive sales of 582 units in the first half of this year, ranking No. 1 among imported commercial vehicles.
Dongfeng Sokon’s Masada Van secured the No. 3 position with sales of 353 units in the first six months of this year.
Chinese electric commercial vehicles are gaining popularity due to their competitive pricing and comparable performance to other vehicles.
China’s leading EV maker BYD in April introduced the T4K, a 1-ton electric truck, to the Korean market through the Korean trading company GS Global.
Geely also joined the competition by launching the SE-A2 1-ton electric van in the domestic market this month.
Mobility Networks, the car sales unit of South Korean auto parts maker Myong Shin Inc., recently took over GM Korea Co.’s plant in Gunsan and has been selected as a local sales agency for Chinese EVs.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)