In September, China exported 300,000 new energy vehicles, representing a robust growth of 66%.
China’s Passenger Car Association has released the latest weekly sales report on the Chinese passenger car market (data collected from October 1st to 26th).
The data shows that from October 1st to 26th, retail sales in China’s passenger car market reached 1.613 million units. This represents a 7% decrease compared to the same period last October and a 4% decrease compared to the previous month. Cumulative retail sales from the beginning of the year to date stand at 18.621 million units, reflecting an 8% year-on-year increase.
Within this, the NEV market retailed 901,000 units. This is flat (0% growth) compared to the same period last October but represents an 8% decrease from the previous month. Cumulative retail sales of NEVs since the start of the year have reached 9.771 million units, marking a 22% year-on-year increase.
From October 1st to 26th, the penetration rate of NEVs in the national passenger car retail market was 55.9%, while the penetration rate for NEV wholesale from manufacturers was 55.2%. During the same period, total production of hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles was 516,000 units, a 7% decrease year-on-year compared to October last year but a 10% increase compared to the previous month.
As efforts against ‘involution’ (intense, unproductive competition) continue to deepen, leading automakers are striving to maintain relative stability in market prices. From October 1st to 26th, nationwide passenger car manufacturer wholesale volumes reached 1.871 million units, down 1% year-on-year compared to the same period last October and down 5% compared to the previous month. Cumulative wholesale volumes from the beginning of the year amount to 22.718 million units, a 12% year-on-year increase.
Regarding export business, data shows that from January to September 2025, China exported 5.71 million vehicles, with a year-on-year growth rate of 21%. In September alone, China exported 763,000 vehicles, a 26% increase year-on-year and flat (0% change) compared to the previous month. Both the year-on-year and month-on-month trends are generally strong.
Among these, China’s exports of NEVs in September reached 300,000 units, representing strong growth of 66%. From January to September 2025, NEV exports totaled 2.32 million units, a 52% year-on-year increase, significantly higher than the 22% growth rate seen in the same period in 2024.
In September this year, the top 10 destination countries for China’s total new energy vehicle exports were: Belgium (20,869 units), the United Arab Emirates (20,859 units), the United Kingdom (19,521 units), the Philippines (16,012 units), Indonesia (15,596 units), Thailand (12,513 units), Brazil (11,371 units), Germany (10,534 units), Australia (9,365 units), and Israel (9,256 units).
Overall, the export performance of Chinese NEV from January to September 2025 exceeded expectations. This is mainly attributed to plug-in hybrids and hybrids replacing pure electric vehicles as the new growth drivers for exports. Particularly, the export performance of plug-in hybrid pickup trucks has been strong, becoming a highlight in the export of new energy commercial vehicles.
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