Posted on 15 May 2025
China's automotive market continued to post solid performance in April, with both sales and output of vehicles achieving steady growth compared to the same period last year, according to the latest release by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) on May 12.
Domestic demand potential was released more rapidly in the past month, providing strong support to the market, while exports remained stable despite drastic changes in the external environment, CAAM notes.
Sales and production of automobiles in China last month rose by 9.8% and 8.9% on year respectively to reach 2.59 million and 2.62 million units, the CAAM data showed. However, both numbers were lower by 11.2% and 12.9% from March.
Over January-April, the country's total vehicle sales climbed by 10.8% on year to 10.06 million units, and output jumped by 12.9% on year to 10.18 million units, according to CAAM.
"For the first time in history, both production and sales (of automobiles) in the first four months exceeded 10 million units," CAAM stated.
For exports, China sold 517,000 vehicles abroad in April, up 2.6% on year and 2% on month, the association's data found. Cumulative exports for the first four months grew by 6% on year to 1.94 million units.
In terms of passenger cars, April sales and production reached 2.22 million and 2.26 million units, up 11% and 10.2% on year respectively, though down 10% and 12.4% from March.
Over January-April, passenger vehicle sales rose 12.4% on year to 8.64 million units, and production increased 14.5% to 8.77 million units. Notably, Chinese-brand passenger vehicles accounted for some 68.7% or 5.94 million units of the country's total passenger car sales, CAAM pointed out.
Last month, vehicles for commercial use saw their sales and output edge up 2.7% and 1.3% respectively on year to 367,000 and 362,000 units, though the results declined by 17.9% and 16% from March. For the past four months, sales and production of commercial vehicles gained by 2% and 4.1% on year to 1.42 million and 1.41 million units.
The new-energy vehicle (NEV) segment continued its strong growth. In April, NEV sales and production surged by 44.2% and 43.8% respectively on year to 1.23 million and 1.25 million units, according to the association. Over January-April, NEV sales and output recorded 4.3 million and 4.43 million units, soaring by 46.2% and 48.3% on year.
Within NEVs, electric cars saw their sales and output hike by 50.7% and 55% on year to 2.75 million and 2.87 million units during January-April, and those for plug-in hybrid vehicles moved up by 38.9% and 37.5% during the same period to 1.55 million and 1.56 million units, the CAAM statistics indicated.
China automotive sector's performance | ||||||||
'000 units | Apr 2025 | Jan-Apr 2025 | ||||||
Sales | YoY (%) | Output | YoY (%) | Sales | YoY (%) | Output | YoY (%) | |
All autos | 2,590 | 9.8 | 2,619 | 8.9 | 10,060 | 10.8 | 10,175 | 12.9 |
NEVs | 1,226 | 44.2 | 1,251 | 43.8 | 4,300 | 46.2 | 4,429 | 48.3 |
Source: CAAM | ||||||||
Source:Mysteel Global
