Data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) show that in July 2026 the retail penetration rate of new energy vehicles in China's passenger vehicle market reached 65.1%, a record high and up 11.6 percentage points year-on-year, while conventional fuel vehicle retail fell 41% to 510,000 units. NEV penetration among domestic brands hit 83.8%.
On the export side, July passenger NEV exports reached 540,000 units, surging 147.8% year-on-year and accounting for 58.8% of passenger vehicle exports. BYD led with 173,700 units. The figures highlight an accelerating shift from gasoline to electric and strong overseas momentum for Chinese NEVs.
Image: BYD e5 electric vehicle (CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
