Catfish’s Tesla’s Import Car Market Upheaval… Audi and Stellantis Are Deepening Their Concerns

Tesla’s Top 3 Sales in the First Half of the Year…a strong 30,000-per-year chance

As Tesla ranked third in sales in the imported car market, a seismic shift was predicted. Tesla became one of the top three in an instant, showing sales volume that eclipsed the “casms” (temporary stagnation period before popularization). Attention is focusing on whether Tesla’s “catfish effect” (a strong competitor elevates the potential of other competitors) will also strengthen its price and marketing strategies.

According to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association (KAIDA) on the 21st, a total of 25,652 imported cars were sold in Korea in the first half of this year, down 3.9% from the same period last year. In addition to the shrinking consumer sentiment caused by high interest rates and high prices, the growth of domestic cars and the mandatory attachment of light green license plates to corporate cars worth more than 80 million won are expected to have affected.

Among them, Tesla sold 17,380 units during the same period, and is close to achieving 30,000 units this year. BMW and Mercedes-Benz are the only imported cars that sell more than 30,000 units a year.

Tesla seems to be absorbing domestic electric vehicle customers through its early adopter image. The best-selling car, the Model Y, was launched in 2020 in the first half of this year. Despite no news of new cars, demand is still continuing to the extent that Hyundai Motor and Kia each exceed electric vehicle sales.

As domestic brands such as Hyundai Motor and Kia, which were stimulated by Tesla, rushed to launch entry-level electric vehicles and actively promoted them, the import car industry also became more concerned about the price. Peugeot, a brand under Stellantis, recently lowered the price of its electric cars e-208 and e-2008 SUVs by up to 14 million won.

The Big Four, traditional imported cars, are also facing fierce competition. Audi, which was one of the so-called “big three” economies in Germany along with BMW and Mercedes Benz, has been struggling this year, falling to eighth place in sales. The reasons for this are sluggish new cars and inconsistent promotions.

Volkswagen, a brand under the same Volkswagen Group, also dropped from fourth place in 2022 to 10th place this year. The position was taken by Volvo Cars for its successful “safety marketing.”

An industry official said, “With the growth of domestic cars, the market for finished cars has been leveled upward, and consumers’ eyes are also rising,” adding, “Commodity is fundamental, and companies that do not have reasonable prices or protect their brand image will gradually find it difficult to survive.”

출처 : n.news.naver.com/article/029/00…