"Global Electric Vehicle Sales Double Compared to Previous Year"

6.66 Million Units Sold... 110.7% Increase YoY
China Leads Market Growth with 3.33 Million Units
Tesla Tops Sales... Hyundai and Kia Rank 5th

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Hyun-seok] Last year, the number of electric-powered vehicles (BEV, PHEV, FCEV) sold in the global market reached 6.66 million units, more than doubling compared to the previous year. By region, China led market growth with 3.33 million units sold, accounting for 50% of the total electric vehicle market share.

According to the "2021 Major Countries Electric-Powered Vehicle Deployment Status Analysis" released on the 5th by the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association (KAMA), sales of electric vehicles (BEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) reached approximately 6.66 million units last year, marking a 110.7% increase from the previous year and more than doubling in growth.

Specifically, electric vehicles sold 4.73 million units, a 119% increase from the previous year. PHEVs and FCEVs followed with sales of 1.92 million and 15,500 units, increasing by 92.6% and 86.3%, respectively.

By region, China had the highest share. Sales increased by 166.6% year-on-year to 3.33 million units. Market share also rose from 39.5% to 50%. Europe (EU+EFTA, UK, etc.) recorded 2.34 million units, accounting for a 35.1% market share. The United States held 10.1%, and Korea ranked 9th with 1.9%.

By automaker, Tesla sold the most vehicles. Last year, it sold 1,045,072 units, a 128% increase. The expansion of supply from the California Fremont factory and Shanghai Gigafactory influenced this growth. Volkswagen Group ranked second with 709,030 units, an 84.2% increase. Third place was China’s BYD (595,089 units), followed by GM (515,584 units) in fourth.

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia ranked fifth, selling a total of 348,783 units, a 98.1% increase from the previous year. The introduction of new models such as the Ioniq 5, EV6, and GV60, which adopt the dedicated electric vehicle platform E-GMP, along with government policies promoting electric commercial vehicles, are considered factors contributing to the sales expansion.

By model, Tesla’s Model 3 ranked first with 563,266 units sold. The Model Y followed in second place with 435,672 units, and the Hongguang Mini, a joint venture between GM and SAIC Motor, ranked third with 426,482 units.

Chairman Jung Manki stated, "The expansion of the electric-powered vehicle market last year was largely due to government support policies such as subsidies, infrastructure development, and tax incentives." He added, "Considering the fierce competition among global companies including China, incentive-based policies such as charging infrastructure development, R&D tax support, and smooth restructuring of parts suppliers are necessary rather than uniform regulation-focused policies."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.