Retail sales of passenger new energy vehicles in China came to 362,000 units between September 1 and 13, according to fresh figures from the China Passenger Car Association. That represents a 16% improvement over the equivalent period in August, but a 10% drop against the same days of 2025. The broader passenger-car market fared worse, shrinking 23% year-on-year to 515,000 units over the same window.
Despite the softer volumes, NEVs captured 70.3% of retail sales during the period — a touch below the 71.5% logged in the opening week but still close to record territory. The wholesale side looked healthier: 411,000 units, up 1% year-on-year and 26% versus the same stretch of August, with wholesale penetration at 74.7%, pointing to resilient export demand.
The CPCA attributed the outsized NEV share to structural quirks rather than demand strength. Most brands currently lack a hit model, yet manufacturers keep output steady and chase volume targets even without order backlogs, leaving penetration "unusually high." Meanwhile, fuel-price increases — this year's cumulative gasoline hikes have topped 830 yuan (about $122) per metric ton — continue to erode gasoline-car demand.
For the year through September 13, NEV retail totaled 7.036 million units, down 12% from a year earlier, while overall passenger-vehicle retail fell 21% to 12.23 million. Year-to-date NEV wholesale volume rose 9% to 10.19 million.