Seoul
The number of diesel cars imported to South Korea has dropped sharply by more than 60% this year, with their market share hitting the lowest point in two decades. Data released on Sunday shows that imports of diesel vehicles fell by 65.1% from January to October, totaling just 6,740 units.
In October alone, diesel imports plummeted by 58.7% compared to the same month last year, with only 643 units brought in. As a result, diesel vehicles now account for just 3.1% of all imported vehicles, marking the smallest share since 2004.
The market share of diesel imports had peaked at 69% in 2015, after surpassing the 20% and 30% thresholds in 2009 and 2011, respectively. The dramatic decline in diesel vehicle imports is partly attributed to the “Dieselgate” scandal, in which German automaker Volkswagen was caught using “defeat devices” to pass emissions tests in 2015.
Market experts note that the decline is also accelerated by the rapid shift toward electric vehicles (EVs) in South Korea. The country’s growing focus on electrification has led to a faster reduction in diesel car sales compared to other countries.
Recent data shows that while sales of new gasoline and diesel vehicles fell significantly by 19.6% and 56.7%, respectively, electric vehicle registrations only decreased by 7.9%. In contrast, the number of new hybrid vehicles registered in South Korea rose by 27.6% in the same period.
