Seoul: Sales of electric vehicles (EVs) in South Korea increased by nearly 50 percent in the first eight months of the year compared to the same period last year, driven by the introduction of new models, data revealed on Monday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, data from the Korea Automobile and Mobility Association (KAMA) indicated that accumulated EV sales from January to August reached 142,456 units, up from 95,988 units in the previous year. During this period, EVs represented 12.7 percent of all newly registered cars in South Korea, marking a rise of 3.8 percentage points from the previous year.

KAMA attributed the significant growth in EV sales to the introduction of new models, including Tesla's Model Y, which launched in May, as well as more affordable EV options from Hyundai Motor Co. and its sister company, Kia Corp.

The data highlighted that sales of locally produced EVs rose by 48.2 percent to 86,777 units, capturing 60.9 percent of the market share. Meanwhile, sales of imported EVs increased by 48.6 percent to 55,679 units, with Chinese-produced models, particularly Tesla's Model Y, comprising 69.4 percent of the total imports.