The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) released data on October 12 showing that from January through September 2026, China's new energy vehicle (NEV) production reached 12.483 million units and sales reached 12.472 million units, up 11% and 11.1% year on year respectively. NEVs accounted for 53.6% of total new vehicle sales in the domestic market, with penetration continuing to climb.
In September alone, NEV production and sales reached 1.814 million and 1.823 million units, pushing the monthly share of new vehicle sales to a record 61.6%. Total vehicle exports reached 1.053 million units, of which NEV exports made up 571,000. Since June, China's monthly auto exports have exceeded one million units for four consecutive months, and the NEV share of exports has stayed above 50% for four straight months.
The data reflects strong domestic resilience amid a slowing total market. Officials attribute the momentum to continuous technology iteration and product optimization, with diversified NEV models rolling out to better match a wide range of consumer travel needs. The "15th Five-Year Plan" for the Intelligent and Connected NEV Industry was recently issued, setting the direction for high-quality development in the period.
According to Ministry of Industry and Information Technology figures, annual NEV sales rose from 1.367 million units in 2020 to 16.49 million in 2025, a compound annual growth rate of 65%. China now exports complete vehicles and parts to more than 100 countries and regions.
Source: CCTV News / CAAM / China Youth Daily
