The Ministry of Climate, Energy, and Environment (Minister: Kim Seong-hwan) announced that as of November 13 this year, the number of electric cars distributed annually in Korea has exceeded 200,000. This significantly surpasses the previous record of 164,000 units in 2022.
Since the electric vehicle distribution program began in 2011, it first reached 100,000 units annually in 2021, and now, in just four years, it has more than doubled. Looking at the distribution trend by year: from 2011 to 2016, there were 12,000 units, 14,000 units in 2017, 30,000 units in 2018, 35,000 units in 2019, 47,000 units in 2020, 100,000 units in 2021, 164,000 units in 2022, 163,000 units in 2023, 147,000 units in 2024, and as of this November, 201,000 units.
By vehicle type, 172,000 electric passenger cars, 2,400 electric vans, and 26,000 electric trucks were distributed. The proportion of domestic vehicles is 55% for passenger cars, 64% for vans, and 93% for trucks. The share of domestic electric buses decreased to 45.8% in 2023, but has maintained a level of 63-64% in 2024 and this year.
Hydrogen car distribution is also on the rise, with 5,900 units distributed by November this year, expanding over the last two years (2023-2024). The cumulative distribution of electric and hydrogen vehicles has reached 950,000 units, and at this rate, it is expected to surpass one million early next year.
The major factors for the expansion in electric and hydrogen vehicle distribution this year include early project launches following the confirmation of subsidy guidelines at the start of the year, a diverse range of new vehicle launches by manufacturers, and quantitative and qualitative improvements in charging infrastructure. Rapid chargers increased from 10,000 units in 2020 to 52,000 units as of October this year, and slow chargers increased from 54,000 to 420,000 over the same period.
Since 2011, the government has been promoting the establishment of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, continuously supplementing the system to ensure appropriate subsidies in line with technological advancements and new vehicle launches. They are also fostering market competition through a subsidy policy that favors vehicles with superior performance and reasonable prices.
The domestic automobile industry is launching affordable models with improved driving range and charging speed. The driving range per charge of major models has steadily improved, from 140 km with the BlueOn in 2011, 190 km with the Ioniq AE in 2016, to 385 km with the Niro EV in 2018, and 550 km with the EV4 by 2025.
The Ministry of Climate, Energy, and Environment plans to continue the electric vehicle distribution trend to contribute to the decarbonization transition of the transportation sector in line with the national greenhouse gas reduction targets (NDC) for 2030 and 2035. The goal is to reduce transportation sector emissions from 98.8 million tons in 2018 to a range of 36.8 to 39.3 million tons by 2035.
Minister Kim Seong-hwan stated, “With the rapid spread of electric vehicles, the decarbonization transition of the transportation sector is becoming a reality. We will aim to achieve a 40% new car distribution of electric and hydrogen vehicles by 2030, and 70% by 2035, and expand support to enhance industrial competitiveness and job creation.”