[DigitalToday reporter Seok Dae-geon (석대건)] Price polarization by brand is expected to become clearer in the used electric vehicle market in April. On Friday, mobility platform Whistle's used-car service Pickdeal released April market trends based on actual transaction data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and AI price analysis.

Pickdeal's analysis showed price gaps by brand widening, and said the market is being reshaped so that when a car is sold, rather than the price it is sold for, determines net proceeds. It said multiple factors including oil price instability, subsidy policy and brand-by-brand pricing strategies are increasing price volatility, making data-driven sale timing more important.

Hyundai Motor's Ioniq 5 posted an average March price of 28.78 million won. It is expected to rise about 1 percent to 29.06 million won in April. White and gray were the most preferred colors, and the model maintained a stable trend in terms of resisting depreciation. Kia's EV6 is also expected to extend its gains. It is forecast to rise about 1.1 percent to 31.77 million won in April from an average 31.42 million won in March. Beige was a highly preferred color.

Tesla's Model 3, in contrast, is expected to fall. Its average price is forecast to drop about 1.4 percent to 28.37 million won in April from 28.77 million won in March. The decline is attributed to Tesla's frequent price adjustments affecting used-car prices. Tesla has continued its pricing policy since late last year, including cutting the Model 3 Performance price by 9.4 million won from the previous level.

Pickdeal is a sell-my-car service that analyses transaction and demand patterns by vehicle based on the ministry's actual transaction data and provides future price changes through an AI forecasting model. The company said it supports users in selling vehicles at a favorable time beyond simple quote comparisons.

A Whistle official said the electric vehicle market has recently shifted to a structure in which timing matters more than price. Pickdeal will support users in minimising losses and determining the best time to sell through data based on actual transactions and AI analysis, the official said.