Kia Corp., South Korea’s second-largest automaker, set a new record in terms of monthly electric vehicle (EV) sales per brand in August, thanks to the successful market debut of the company’s new EV3 model, data showed Thursday.

According to auto industry tracker CarIsYou, the number of newly registered EVs produced by Kia last month totaled 6,398 units. The figure represents a 250 percent surge from last year and a 58.7 percent jump from the previous month.

The tally marks the highest monthly record across all domestic and imported brands in the country since the introduction of mass-produced EV models in South Korea in 2011.

The EV3, Kia’s new entry-level model launched this summer, was the main driver of this stellar performance. The EV3 accounted for 4,436 new registrations, or 69.3 percent of Kia’s total EVs sold last month.

This photo provided by Kia shows the company’s EV3 model. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

This photo provided by Kia shows the company’s EV3 model. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

D
espite the current global EV demand stagnation and heightened public concerns in South Korea over safety, Kia’s performance last month highlights a significant growth in domestically produced EV sales.

In August, 13,315 EVs were registered in South Korea, up 79.2 percent from a year ago. Of those, domestic brands accounted for 9,197 units. Hyundai Motor sold 2,256 units in August, up 33.2 percent from last year.

Imported brands as a whole also saw a 22.3 percent on-year increase in sales to 4,118 units. The monthly tally, however, was down 10.2 percent from July.

Mercedes-Benz EV sales, in particular, plunged 82 percent to 133 units after a massive fire incident that started from one of the company’s models last month.

“Following the fire incident, consumers appear to be interested in purchasing electric vehicles from domestic brands,” an industry official said.

“Local brands are generally perceived as safer, partly because they mostly use batteries from local manufacturers, and have more robust systems
for battery anomaly alerts, inspections and maintenance.”

Source: Yonhap News Agency