China’s automobile exports in September reached 1.053 million units, up 61.4% year-on-year, according to data released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) on the 12th. This marked the fourth consecutive month that monthly exports exceeded 1 million units. Cumulative exports for January–September reached 8.205 million units, already far surpassing the roughly 7.09 million units recorded for all of 2025. An annual total exceeding 10 million units is now within sight.
The driving force behind export growth has been “New Energy Vehicles” (NEVs), which combine electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHVs). September NEV exports surged 2.6-fold year-on-year. According to data compiled by the China Passenger Car Market Information Joint Conference, NEVs accounted for 558,000 of the 917,000 passenger vehicle exports in September — over 60% — representing growth of more than 1.6 times year-on-year.
In contrast, the domestic market remains sluggish. According to CAAM, domestic sales in September fell 26.0% year-on-year to 1.904 million units, marking the sixth consecutive month of declines exceeding 20%. Weak consumer spending and declining demand for gasoline-powered vehicles weighed on the figures.
Data from the Joint Conference, which focuses specifically on passenger vehicles, showed narrow-definition passenger vehicle retail sales in September totaled 1.618 million units, down 28% year-on-year. NEV passenger vehicle sales also fell 16.7% to 1.084 million units. On a cumulative basis for January–September, narrow-definition passenger vehicle sales declined 21.7% year-on-year to 13.334 million units, while NEV passenger vehicle sales fell 12.8% to 7.758 million units — a clear sign of contracting domestic demand.
While NEVs account for a growing share of overall sales, domestic NEV sales continue to trail prior-year levels, in stark contrast to the surge in exports. For automakers, navigating the polarization between expanding overseas markets and cooling domestic demand has become a key challenge.