- Chery sold 240,678 vehicles in March, lifting Q1 sales to 601,712 and marking 12.1% year-on-year growth.
- Exports drove growth with ~150,000 March shipments, 11th straight month above 100,000 and exports up 53.9% year-on-year.
- Chery is accelerating globalization and upmarket moves with South Africa plant plans, European expansion, and new FREELANDER premium NEV brand.
On April 2, Chery Group released its March sales data, reporting total vehicle sales of 240,678 units for the month, up 12.1% year-on-year.
For the first quarter, cumulative sales reached 601,712 units, including 161,202 new energy vehicles and 393,311 exports, with exports rising 53.9% year-on-year.
From a structural perspective, exports remain the primary growth driver.
After becoming the first Chinese automaker to surpass 6 million cumulative exports in February, Chery exported nearly 150,000 vehicles in March, marking the 11th consecutive month with monthly exports exceeding 100,000 units.
To date, Chery’s global user base has reached 19.12 million, including more than 6.23 million overseas users, maintaining its position as China’s top vehicle exporter.
Its overseas strategy is also evolving. At the end of March, Chery announced at an investor conference in South Africa that it will launch a localized production project, with the first model expected to enter production by mid-2027.
Meanwhile, a Chery executive recently told Reuters that Chery has acquired a local factory from Nissan and plans to commence production by the end of 2027 after completing renovations.
The facility will manufacture both internal combustion engine vehicles and electric vehicles, serving both the South African domestic market and export purposes.
Europe is also seeing accelerated growth. Chery has now entered 18 European markets.
In the first two months of the year, sales in the UK and EU reached 39,135 units, up 200% year-on-year, including 11,484 NEVs, up 250%.
Domestically, the product portfolio is expanding rapidly.
In the first quarter, Chery completed a NEV lineup spanning price points from RMB 50,000 ($7,250) to RMB 500,000 ($72,500), covering segments from compact cars to MPVs.
New models such as the QQ3, Fulwin T9L, iCAR V27, and Luxeed V9 have been launched successively.
On the technology front, Chery’s “Battery Night” event in March introduced solutions such as the Rhino Battery, which can deliver up to 500 km of range with an 8-minute charge.
The battery has already been deployed in models including the new QQ3, Fulwin A9, and Fulwin T9L.
At the same time, Chery is moving upmarket. On March 31, it unveiled the FREELANDER brand, targeting the global premium NEV segment, alongside its first concept model, Concept 97.
The new brand will complement Exeed and other premium lines in its high-end strategy.
Chery’s commercial vehicle division is also accelerating electrification. Its first all-electric pickup, the Weilin R08 EV, was launched at the end of January.
With this, Chery’s NEV portfolio now spans mini vehicles, sedans, SUVs, flagship MPVs, and commercial pickups.
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