From next year on, Korea will rise to be a competition place for local and imported EVs, PHEVs, and other eco-cars.

As local governments and organizations are expanding their incentives and subsidies for eco-cars, importers are preparing to release several EVs and PHEVs, and so will compete fiercely with national models that already introduced this year.

This year’s EV sales registered 800 units until October, and expected to mark 1,000 units at the year-end.

In next year, Seoul City’s 663 units will lead to the increasing demand of EVs for private use, and so total sales are expected to increase three times at 3,000 units. And so car makers’ competition to get larger share will get firecer.

Early this year Jeju City entered into a project of supplying EVs to the private sector, and so Nissan Korea was accredited with 16 supply networks and completed certification procedure for Leaf model for a releasing ceremony next month as expected.

Leaf is being produced in the U.S., U.K. and Japan, and in the U.S. market the demand increased explosively by 35.0% to 24,441 units by October this year.

The Leaf uses 24kW/h Litium battery, and the driving distance is max. 130km with one-time charging. Local retail prices will be 53 mil. to 55 mil. won.

BMW Korea also introduced i3 last April, and in February next year a PHEV i8 is planned to be released. The i8 was originally to be shown at the end of this year, but the German head office delayed it to next February due to lack of production volume.

The i8 will be equipped with 1500cc 3-cylinder engine, and the front-wheels will be powered by motors while the rear-wheels by engines. The maximum engine power will be 231 hp, and when combined with motor power of 131 hp, the total power reach 362 hp.

The fuel economy of i8 is 47.6km per liter based on the EU standards, and normal charging takes one hour while internal 220V outlet takes 3 hours.

The retail price will be over 200 million won, in consideration of its price in Germany at 130,000 euros (178 million won).

BMW will also introduce X5 e drive model at the second half of next year. It will be equipped with 4-cylinder gasoline engine plus electric motors for powering 340 hp and 25km/liter fuel efficiency. It will speed up 120km/h for 30km driving distance with only battery.

BMW Korea has supplied 80 units of i3 to Jeju and Changwon, and especially topped at the Seoul city’s recent bidding for private use, competing with local models, such as Soul, Ray, and SM3, thus accounting for 48.3% share of total supply volume.

Toyota, in the meantime, is reviewing to introduce Prius PHEV, with fuel efficiency of over 240km/liter, into Korea as they are schedule to suspend production of RAV4.

Toyota Korea actually brought Prius PHEV into Korea last year and test-drive for releasing probably at the second half of next year.

The Prius PHEV registered 22.4% hike until October this year in the U.S. at 12,321 units, setting in as the most popular eco-model.

Audi is also planning to introduce A3 e-tron at the first half of next year in Korea. It runs 50km at a no-fuel charging mode, and afterwards runs at hybrid mode with an average fuel efficiency of around 15km per liter.

A3 e-tron’s retail price will be over 60 million won in consideration of its sales price in the EU at 37,900 euros (circa 52 million won).

But the subsidy is not determined yet for the PHEVs, and so local sales will be retarded until the incentives are implemented.

Hyundai-Kia have been expanding the EV market with Ray and Soul EV models and is planning to compete with the imported EVs by introducing new Hybrid-only models around the end of next year.

In the meantime, China’s BYD is told to be preparing to advance into Korea with EV cars by introducing them at the 2015 Seoul Motor Show.