- In December, China sold a record 45,300 new energy heavy-duty trucks, accounting for 53.89% of total heavy-duty truck sales of 84,000 units.
- This was primarily due to demand being front-loaded from 2026, but the electrification trend in the heavy-duty truck industry is seen as unstoppable.
| Month | Sales | Penetration |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 2024 | 15,200 | 21.89% |
| Jan 2025 | 7,085 | 21.02% |
| Feb 2025 | 8,171 | 16.96% |
| Mar 2025 | 15,000 | 20.93% |
| Apr 2025 | 15,800 | 23.04% |
| May 2025 | 15,100 | 23.92% |
| Jun 2025 | 18,000 | 26.03% |
| Jul 2025 | 16,700 | 25.89% |
| Aug 2025 | 17,800 | 26.61% |
| Sep 2025 | 24,100 | 28.93% |
| Oct 2025 | 20,100 | 28.65% |
| Nov 2025 | 28,000 | 36.45% |
| Dec 2025 | 45,300 | 53.89% |
China's new energy heavy-duty truck sales surged in the final month of 2025, driving penetration to a historic high — though this may prove short-lived.
In December, China sold a record 45,300 new energy heavy-duty trucks domestically, accounting for 53.89% of the total heavy-duty truck sales of 84,000 units, according to data from CV World, a Chinese website specializing in the commercial vehicle market.
This marks the first time China's new energy heavy-duty truck penetration rate has exceeded 50%, a jump of over 17 percentage points from November's 36.45%.
Sales of new energy heavy-duty trucks in December surged 198% year-on-year and 62% month-on-month. The growth rate significantly outpaced the overall heavy-duty truck market's year-on-year increase of 21%.
The sharp rise in December sales does not reflect genuine market demand but is largely driven by the impending expiration of trade-in subsidies and consumers anticipating additional new energy vehicle (NEV) purchase tax costs in 2026, noted a CV World report.
This has front-loaded 2026 demand, meaning monthly sales in the first half of the year — or even longer — may not reach December 2025 levels, the report said.
Nevertheless, the electrification trend in the heavy-duty truck sector is seen as unstoppable.
The fundamental reason consumers are willing to pay for new energy heavy trucks is their economic advantages, Caijing reported on Thursday.
Over a ten-year operational cycle, new energy heavy trucks can save about RMB 1.2 million ($170,000) compared to fuel-powered vehicles, the report cited CATL (HKG: 3750, SHE: 300750) commercial vehicle sales director Xia Nan as saying.
CATL is a key driver of electrification in the heavy-duty truck sector. It launched standardized battery swap packs for heavy-duty trucks in May 2025, projecting that the industry could achieve a 50% electrification rate within the next three years.
The surge in December sales pushed the annual penetration rate of new energy heavy-duty trucks to 28.89%, more than double the 13.61% recorded in 2024.
China's new energy heavy-duty truck sales reached 231,100 units in 2025, a substantial 182% year-on-year increase.
Shanghai led China in new energy heavy-duty truck registrations in 2025 with 34,100 units, followed by Shenzhen with 11,700 units and Guangzhou with 9,685 units.
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