Hyundai Motor Co.’s Kona subcompact SUV. (image: Hyundai Motor)
SEOUL, Oct. 20 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s exports of eco-friendly cars have soared by more than 40 percent on-year in 2019, mainly on the back of the popularity of subcompact SUVs, data showed Sunday.
Local carmakers exported a combined 180,933 eco-friendly autos, such as electric vehicles (EVs), during the January-September period, up 41.8 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association (KAMA).
The number accounts for 10.2 percent of all auto exports during the first nine months of the year, according to KAMA.
Eco-friendly versions of Hyundai Motor Co.’s Kona subcompact SUV and Kia Motors’ s Niro subcompact SUV have gained popularity in major overseas markets, such as Europe and the United States.
A combined 110,933 units of the Kona and the Niro were shipped overseas during the cited period, accounting for about 60 percent of eco-friendly car exports, the data showed.
(Yonhap)
