New Energy Vehicles Account for 64.3% of China's October Car Sales as Auto Exports Surge 60%
New energy vehicles (NEVs), including electric cars and plug-in hybrids, accounted for 64.3% of all new vehicle sales in China in October 2026, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) reported on November 11.
China produced 3.063 million vehicles and sold 3.016 million during the month. Production rose 2.5% and sales increased 2% compared with September, but the figures were down 8.8% and 9.2%, respectively, from a year earlier.
The NEV segment continued to expand. Production reached 2.017 million units, up 13.8% year on year, while sales climbed 13.1% to 1.94 million vehicles.
China exported 1.066 million vehicles in October, a year-on-year increase of 60.2%. Of these, 606,000 were NEVs, approximately 2.4 times the number exported in October 2025.
During the first ten months of 2026, total vehicle exports reached 9.271 million units, up 65.1% year on year. NEV exports totaled 4.612 million vehicles, approximately 2.3 times the figure recorded during the same period last year.
Chen Shihua, deputy secretary-general of CAAM, said NEVs now account for more than half of China's monthly vehicle exports. He attributed their growing market share to technological advances, stronger product competitiveness and increasing acceptance among overseas consumers.
Chen also projected that China's total vehicle exports would exceed 10 million units by the end of 2026.
As reported by SSTV+, growing overseas shipments of electric and hybrid vehicles are becoming a major driver of China's automotive exports.
