January 7, 2021
Tesla is looking for the South Korean government to revise an eco-friendly vehicle sales program that gives automakers tradeable incentives for selling low-emissions vehicles. The electric automaker says that the agreement is discriminatory and violates the Free Trade Agreement that sits between South Korea and the United States.
The “Low Emission Vehicle Supply Target System” is set to be implemented this year, and automakers that sold 4,500 cars in South Korea in 2009 qualify for the program. The problem is, even though Tesla is the world’s leader in selling eco-friendly electric cars, the company doesn’t technically qualify for the incentive-giving program. Tesla only sold 937 cars in South Korea in 2009, not meeting the required 4,500 vehicle threshold.