Seoul: South Korean carmakers' domestic sales of eco-friendly cars hit a new record last year, driven by the popularity of hybrid models, data showed Sunday. The country's five carmakers recorded eco-friendly car sales of 450,194 units last year, up 11.3 percent on-year.

According to Yonhap News Agency, separate data from Hyundai Motor, Kia, GM Korea, KG Mobility, and Renault Korea Motors revealed that hybrid models accounted for 356,058 units. This marked a 25 percent increase from the previous year and represented 88 percent of total eco-friendly car sales.

Sales of electric vehicles, by contrast, experienced a decline, dropping 21.2 percent to 91,385 units in 2024. In addition, domestic sales of hydrogen fuel cell cars fell by 36.4 percent, totaling just 2,751 units.

"Despite the sluggish sales of electric vehicles, demand for eco-friendly cars remained solid, fueled by the soaring sales of hybrid models," an official of the automotive industry said.