ECG — 2026-01-16
News from ECG
New vehicle exports have reached 7.06 million units in 2025, as per data released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers reflecting a 21% year on year increase. In the final months of 2025, the volume of new vehicles exported from China saw significant volume with monthly amounts surpassing 700,000 units.
Monthly Volumes
The steady increase in monthly export volumes from China saw January volume of 470,000 units rising to 753,000 units in the month of December. In Q1 the average monthly export volume hit 473,000 units. In Q2 the average monthly export volume hit 553,000 units. In Q3 the average monthly export volume hit 613,000 units, and by Q4 has reached 715,000 units.
ICE or NEV
A total of 4.47 million internal combustion engined new vehicles were exported from China in 2025, accounting for 63% of total exports. This however was a decline of 6.7% compared to the volume of ICE vehicles exported in 2024.
Meanwhile a total of 2.58 million new energy vehicles were exported from China in 2025, accounting for 36% of total exports. This however was an increase of 48.5% of the volume of NEVs exported in 2024.
What this shows is that there a surge of almost 50% in the demand for Chinese made new energy vehicles, which include battery electric and plug in hybrid vehicles.
Type of NEV exported
Passenger vehicles make up the bulk or 96.8% of the total exports of NEVs exported from China, accounting for 2.53 million units in 2025. Commercial vehicle NEV exports hit just 83,000 units.
Meanwhile pure battery electric vehicles make up 63% of the volume of NEVs exported, with 1.6 million units exported in 2025. PHEVs account for 37% with 696,000 units exported in 2025.
Overall this shows that it is battery electric passenger cars that are boosting the exports of NEVs from China.
Top Exporters
Chery Automobile is the top exporter of new vehicles from China, with exports hitting 1.34 million units in 2025. In second place is BYD with exports of 1.05 million units. In third place is SAIC with exports of 950,000 units, followed by Changan Automobile with volume of 637,000 units exported. Geely Automobile comes in fifth with volume of 606,000 units exported across its group. While in sixth place is Great Wall Motors with 506,000 units exported. In seventh is BAIC with 308,000 units, in eighth is Dongfeng with 280,000 units. While in ninth place is Tesla with exports of 226,000 units, followed by Jianghuai (JAC) in tenth place with exports of 222,000 units in 2025.
Destinations
Export destinations are led by Mexico which saw volume of 573,000 units in the January to November 2025 timeframe. Russia was second with volume of 513,000 units. In third place is UAE with 466,000 units, followed by Brazil with 285,000 units. In fifth place is the UK which saw 281,000 units exported in the January to November timeframe. Export destination data generally lags by a month so while December volume has not yet been released the trends are apparent.
Of the top 25 destinations for Chinese made vehicles, only two saw year on year declines. Volume exports to Russia dropped 46% while exports to the USA were down 28%.
Meanwhile exports to the UK jumped 68% y/y, Italy saw a 50% increase and Spain a 45% increase.
Main destinations in Europe were led by the UK which saw 281,000 units followed by Belgium which saw 275,764 units. In third place was Italy with 140,000 units, followed by Spain with 139,000 units and Turkey with 131,000 units in the January to November timeframe.
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