Tesla Model Y becomes first foreign vehicle to top Korea’s monthly sales

[Hamartia Antidote]

https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10764645

Tesla’s Model Y SUV has become the first foreign vehicle to top Korea’s monthly passenger car sales, overtaking domestic models in a market long dominated by Hyundai Motor Group.

According to recent data by the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association, the Model Y sold 8,762 units in May. It secured the top spot ahead of Hyundai and Kia’s bestselling models, including Kia Sorento SUV (7,836 units), Hyundai Grandeur sedan (5,183 units), Kia Sportage SUV (4,760 units) and Kia Carnival (4,543 units).

Notably, Tesla’s monthly sales exceeded the combined total of the two German luxury brands — BMW and Mercedes-Benz — which sold 6,555 and 3,553 vehicles, respectively. Audi followed with 1,509 units, Lexus with 1,291 units and Volvo with 1,058 units. Chinese EV maker BYD ranked seventh with 1,032 vehicles sold in May.

Tesla sold a total of 10,866 vehicles in Korea in May, strengthening its position as the country’s bestselling imported car brand for a fourth consecutive month. The EV maker has maintained strong momentum since becoming the first imported automotive brand to surpass 10,000 monthly sales in March.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Tesla Model Y is Japan's best-selling imported car in May 2026, a first for Tesla

Tesla Model Y becomes Japan's best-selling imported car in May 2026, marking a historic first for the EV maker over traditional automakers.

evwire.com

Tesla Model Y is Japan's best-selling imported car in May 2026, a first for Tesla

The Tesla Model Y was Japan's No.1 most-registered imported car model for May 2026. The result marks the first time a Tesla model has topped the country's imported car sales charts.

Roughly 1,700 Model Y units were registered in Japan during the month, ahead of the BMW Group's MINI, the long-time foreign leader by model, which logged 1,282 units. The Model Y’s ranking is based on data from the Japan Automobile Importers Association (JAIA).

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“Model Y has achieved No.1 in new registrations for the May 2026 foreign car brand model category. We express our gratitude to all our customers, partner companies, shareholders, and supporters who provided their support in achieving this milestone.”
— Tesla Japan on X (translated from Japanese)

The Tesla Model Y’s crown caps a monster month for the EV maker in Japan. Tesla Japan logged 1,996 registrations in May, up 182% year over year, with YTD sales up 157% as the brand climbed to fourth among imported marques. This was enough to push Tesla above Audi on a YTD basis.

The new Model Y has been the engine of that growth, finding traction in a market that has historically been one of the toughest for import brands, and for EVs in general. BYD, which outsells Tesla in some markets due to its mix of affordable BEV and PHEV offerings, only registered 363 passenger vehicles in May, down from 416 units a year earlier.

Nikkei attributes Tesla Japan’s breakthrough to two moves: the April addition of the six-seater Model Y L to the lineup, which expanded the SUV's customer base, and a free fast-charging campaign. Government support helped too, with Japan's EV subsidy raised in January to ¥1.27 million ($7,925) close to the ¥1.3 million ($8,111) maximum.

It should be noted that Tesla itself does not report Japan sales figures publicly, and the automaker's registrations appear under the "Others" line in the JAIA's monthly foreign vehicle data. That being said, Japan’s “Others” line has been seeing a lot of growth this year so far, so if this momentum holds, Tesla Japan could see record sales this 2026.