SEOUL, April 15 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's automotive exports grew in single digits last month due to robust demand for eco-friendly vehicles, government data showed Wednesday.

Car shipment gained 2.2 percent from a year earlier to 6.37 billion U.S. dollars in March, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources.

It marked the second-largest March figure on the back of strong demand for eco-friendly vehicles.

Exports for eco-friendly models soared 36.0 percent to 2.74 billion dollars in March on a yearly basis.

The eco-friendly vehicles include electric vehicles, fuel cell electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

Automotive export to the United States fell 1.0 percent to 2.75 billion dollars, but shipment to the European Union jumped 33.0 percent to 1.03 billion dollars.

Those to Asia and the Middle East tumbled in double figures amid the Middle East tensions.

The number of exported vehicles totaled 259,635 in March, up 7.8 percent compared with the same month of last year. Auto parts shipment shrank 2.4 percent to 1.80 billion dollars.

The number of vehicles manufactured in local factories increased 4.5 percent to 387,227 last month.

The number of cars sold inside the country, including locally-made and imported vehicles, was 164,813 in March, up 10.2 percent from a year earlier. ■