China NEV sales total 1.71 million units in Dec, bringing full-year 2025 sales to 16.49 million

• China's NEV sales grew 28.2% in 2025, outpacing the overall automotive market's 9.4% growth.
• In 2025, China exported 2.62 million NEVs, a 100% year-on-year increase.

In December, China's new energy vehicle (NEV) sales came in at 1.71 million units, marking a 7.2% year-on-year increase but a 6.20% decline from November, according to data released Wednesday by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).

CAAM's NEV sales figures represent automakers' wholesale sales, including both domestic sales in China and exports to overseas markets. NEVs encompass battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and fuel cell vehicles.

This brings China's 2025 NEV sales to 16.49 million units, a 28.2% year-on-year increase.

December BEV sales totaled 1,108,000 units, up 13.8% year-on-year but down 5.3% from November.

December PHEV sales totaled 599,000 units, down 3.7% year-on-year and down 8.1% month-on-month.

This marks the first year-on-year decline in PHEV sales recorded in CAAM data for at least five years, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.

China's total vehicle sales in December were 3.27 million units, down 6.2% year-on-year and down 4.6% month-on-month.

This translates to a NEV penetration rate of 52.3% in December, higher than the 45.7% recorded in the same period last year but lower than November's 53.2%.

For the full year 2025, China's total vehicle sales reached 34.4 million units, marking a 9.4% year-on-year increase. This solidifies China's position as the world's largest automotive market for the 17th consecutive year, according to CAAM.

NEVs contributed 47.9% of China's total vehicle sales in 2025.

NEV exports remained robust, with 300,000 units shipped in December — a 120% year-on-year increase but a 0.1% decrease from November.

China exported 2.62 million NEVs in 2025, a 100% increase year-on-year.

Domestic NEV sales in December, excluding exports, reached 1.41 million units, down 3.6% year-on-year and down 7.4% month-on-month.

Domestic NEV sales in 2025 totaled 13.88 million units, up 19.8% year-on-year.

In December, 753,000 vehicles were exported from China, representing a 49.2% year-on-year increase and a 3.5% rise from November.

China exported 7.1 million vehicles in 2025, marking a 21.1% year-on-year growth.

The country exported 173,000 BEVs in December, up 110% year-on-year but down 2% from November.

China's BEV exports reached 1.65 million units in 2025, growing 66.7% year-on-year.

PHEV exports totaled 127,000 units in December, surging 150% year-on-year and rising 2.7% month-on-month.

In 2025, PHEV exports reached 969,000 units, a 230% year-on-year increase.