- NEVs outperformed internal combustion engine vehicles, driving the retail penetration rate to a record 62.8%.
- Despite their better performance, NEVs have yet to plug the gap left by the lost sales of fuel cars.
China's retail sales of passenger new energy vehicles (NEVs) continued to see a year-on-year decline last month, though the drop narrowed, while month-on-month sales maintained their upward trajectory.
Retail sales of passenger NEVs stood at 883,000 units in April, down 5% from a year earlier but up 4% from March, according to data released Friday by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).
The figure is slightly higher than the CPCA's estimate of 860,000 units released at the end of last month.
For the year to date period, China's NEV retail sales recorded 2.792 million units, down 17% year-on-year.
China's overall passenger vehicle retail sales in April were 1.406 million units, down 20% year-on-year and dropping 15% from the same period last month.
This means that, based on the CPCA's preliminary statistics, China's NEV penetration rate reached a record 62.8% in April.
Cumulative retail sales of passenger vehicles in China so far this year stood at 5.628 million units, down 18% from the same period last year.
In the first week of April (April 1-6), average daily retail sales of passenger vehicles in China were 24,594 units, down 30% year-on-year and 20% lower than the same period in March.
In the second week (April 7-12), average daily retail sales were 38,159 units, down 13% year-on-year and 5% lower than the same period in March.
In the third week (April 13-19), average daily retail sales were 35,742 units, down 33% year-on-year and 27% lower than the same period last month.
In the fourth week (April 20-26), average daily retail sales were 53,948 units, down 21% both year-on-year and month-on-month.
In the fifth week (April 27-30), average daily retail sales were 100,452 units, down 9% year-on-year but up 25% from the same period last month.
At the wholesale level, China's passenger NEV wholesale volume was 1.22 million units in April, registering a 7% growth both year-on-year and month-on-month.
China's overall passenger vehicle wholesale volume in April was 2.13 million units, up 3% year-on-year but down 10% from the previous month.
This implies that at the wholesale level, the NEV penetration rate reached 57.3% in April.
Cumulative passenger NEV wholesale volume so far this year reached 3.949 million units, edging down 1% year-on-year.
Cumulative passenger vehicle wholesale volume for the year to date reached 7.997 million units, down 6% from the same period last year.
For April 1-6, average daily wholesale volume of passenger vehicles was 25,392 units, down 28% year-on-year and 17% lower than the same period last month.
For April 7-12, average daily wholesale volume was 37,016 units, down 29% year-on-year and 24% lower than the same period last month.
For April 13-19, average daily wholesale volume was 54,456 units, down 7% year-on-year and 10% lower than the same period last month.
For April 20-26, average daily wholesale volume was 73,214 units, down 7% year-on-year and 33% lower than the same period last month.
For April 27-30, average daily wholesale volume was 215,548 units, up 22% year-on-year and surging 51% from the same period last month.
Retail sales of ICE vehicles have further slowed as rising international oil prices drive up the cost of using fossil-fuel cars, the CPCA noted.
NEVs are outperforming ICE vehicles, but currently have yet to plug the gap left by the lost sales of fuel cars, according to the CPCA.
Dragged down by weak domestic demand, China's share of the global passenger NEV market fell to 61% in the first quarter of 2026, down from 68.3% in 2025.
Within this, the global share of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) also retreated to 56% in the first quarter of this year, down from 63% in 2025.
