China’s Automobile Market Shows Strong Growth in May 2025
In May 2025, China’s automobile market continued to demonstrate robust momentum, with double-digit year-on-year growth in both production and sales across various segments. The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (“CAAM”) reported that domestic demand and exports contributed to the positive performance, with the passenger vehicle (PV) segment leading the way while the commercial vehicle (CV) sector experienced a slight slowdown.
Production and sales figures for May showed significant increases compared to the same period last year. Automobile production reached 2.649 million units, marking an 11.6% year-on-year growth, while sales hit 2.686 million units, up by 11.2%. The cumulative production from January to May totaled 12.826 million units, a 12.7% increase compared to the previous year, with sales reaching 12.748 million units, up by 10.9%.
Domestic sales in May reached 2.135 million units, showing a 10.3% year-on-year increase. Traditional oil-fueled vehicle sales accounted for 1.04 million units, down by 3.6% compared to the previous year. China’s vehicle exports also saw a notable uptick, with 551,000 units exported in May, a 14.5% increase year-on-year.
The PV segment continued to drive growth in the market, with production and sales of PVs recording double-digit year-on-year increases in May. PV production reached 2.313 million units, up by 12.8% year-on-year, while sales climbed to 2.352 million units, a 13.3% increase from the previous year. Domestic sales of PVs in May stood at 1.884 million units, up by 12.3% year-on-year.
China’s self-owned PV brands gained market share, with a 69% share in May, up by 5.3 percentage points from the previous year. Domestic market PV sales totaled 8.916 million units from January to May, a 13.9% year-on-year increase. PV exports in May reached 468,000 units, up by 17.7% year-on-year.
In contrast, the CV segment showed mixed performance, with production and sales figures experiencing fluctuations. CV production and sales in May reached 336,000 units and 335,000 units, respectively, with natural gas-powered CVs seeing a decline in sales. From January to May, total CV production and sales reached 1.746 million and 1.753 million units, respectively, with natural gas-powered CV sales down by 7.8%.
The NEV market continued to show strong growth in May, with production and sales of NEVs increasing by over 30% year-on-year. NEV production reached 1.27 million units, up by 35%, while sales totaled 1.307 million units, a 36.9% increase from the previous year. NEVs accounted for 48.7% of all new vehicle sales in May.
From January to May, China’s cumulative NEV production and sales reached 5.699 million and 5.608 million units, respectively, with NEVs making up 44% of total new vehicle sales. Domestic market NEV sales in May rose by 27.9% year-on-year, with PV sales growing by 26.3% and CV sales increasing by 58.8%.
In terms of exports, China’s NEV exports saw significant growth, with 212,000 NEVs exported in May, more than double the figure from the previous year. PV exports reached 204,000 units, while CV exports stood at 8,000 units. The top 10 vehicle exporters in May included Chery and BYD, with Chery leading in exports and BYD recording the fastest export growth.
Overall, China’s automobile market in May 2025 displayed strong growth across various segments, with PVs driving the market forward and NEVs continuing to gain momentum. Despite some fluctuations in the CV segment, the market overall showed resilience and promising prospects for the future.
