Imported electric vehicle sales jumped 65 percent in the first half compared with a year earlier despite an extended COVID-19 pandemic, industry data showed Monday.

From January to June, the number of imported EV registrations jumped to 14,295 units from 8,681 in the year-ago period, according to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association and Carisyou Data Lab.

Imported EVs accounted for 54 percent of the country's overall EV sales of 26,632 units in the first six months, the data showed.

Eight out of 10 imported EVs sold in the first half were models by US EV maker Tesla Motors Inc.

Tesla's first-half sales soared 64 percent to 11,629 units from 7,079 a year ago on growing demand for environment-friendly vehicles.

Other EV models include Hyundai Motor Co.'s IONIQ 5, Kia Corp.'s Niro EV, Mercedes-Benz's EQC 400 4MATIC SUV, Porsche's Taycan and Audi's e-tron GT model.

Imported carmakers sold a total of 147,757 autos in the first half, up 15 percent from 128,236 units in the same period of last year.

Imported brands accounted for 19 percent of the Korean passenger vehicle market in May, up from 16 percent a year ago. (Yonhap)