China’s automotive industry is demonstrating remarkable export growth, with electric vehicles (EVs) leading the charge. In September 2026, Chinese passenger car exports reached an impressive 917,000 units, marking a substantial 73.7% increase compared to the previous year. This figure represents 36% of the total domestic passenger car sales.
New Energy Vehicle Exports Reach New Heights
The performance of New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) is particularly noteworthy. In September, 558,000 NEVs were exported, a staggering 163.5% year-on-year increase. This segment now accounts for 60.8% of China’s total passenger car exports, a significant jump of 21 percentage points from the previous year.
Within the NEV category, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) constituted 60.5% of the total NEV exports, down slightly from 66.2% in the prior year. However, compact BEVs in the A00 and A0 classes, which are crucial for market penetration, saw their share of BEV exports rise to 57.9%, up from 49% a year ago.
Exports of vehicles from Chinese domestic brands reached 812,000 units, up 75% year-on-year. Joint venture and luxury brand exports contributed 105,000 units, showing a 62% growth.
Leading the NEV Export Charge
The escalating global demand for Chinese NEVs is attributed to their increasing competitiveness and broader market appeal. Notably, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) accounted for 34.2% of overall NEV exports, up from 31.4% last year. Extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) also saw significant growth, making up 5.3% of exports, a considerable increase from 2.4% in the previous year.
For September 2026, the top NEV exporters were:
- BYD Auto (175,877 units)
- Chery Automobile (85,990 units)
- Geely Automobile (72,893 units)
- Tesla China (30,529 units)
- SAIC Passenger Vehicle (29,552 units)
- Changan Automobile (29,325 units)
- Nio (27,454 units)
- SAIC-GM-Wuling (16,543 units)
- Dongfeng Motor (10,282 units)
- XPeng Motors (10,055 units)
These figures underscore the rapid advancement of China’s automotive sector, particularly in the electric vehicle domain, and its growing influence on the global automotive landscape.
