Sales of Chinese-made vehicles, including exports, rose by almost 15% year-on-year to 2.593 million units in July 2025, after declining by 5% to 2.262 million units a year earlier, according to passenger car and commercial vehicle wholesale data compiled by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM). Domestic sales rose by 13% to 2.018 million units last month, while exports increased by 23% to 575,000 units.
The Chinese government has stepped up its stimulus measures this year to boost domestic vehicles sales, including increasing vehicle trade-in incentives which primarily favour new energy vehicle (NEV) sales. The country’s vehicle market has also responded to strong price competition among domestic manufacturers and numerous new model launches.
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The government recently confirmed that it will continue to fund its subsidy programmes at least until the end of 2025, but has ordered local vehicle manufacturers to rein in their excessive discounting, which is seen as damaging the profitability and prospects of the country’s smaller, less established electric vehicle (EV) brands.
In the first seven months of 2025, total sales of China-made vehicles increased by over 12% to 18.269 million units, up from 16.310 million a year earlier, including a 12% rise in domestic sales to 14.588 million units while exports rose by over 12% to 3.658 million units. Overall sales of passenger vehicles increased by 13% to 15.841 million units, while commercial vehicle sales rose by 4% to 2.428 million units.
Sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs) rose by over 38% to 8.220 million units, accounting for over 45% of total vehicle sales by the country’s automakers. Battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales surged by 47% to 5.246 million units, while plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) sales rose by 26% to 2.972 million units. Domestic NEV sales rose by 32% to 6.913 million units year-to-date, while exports amounted to 1.307 million units.
Overall vehicle production in the country increased by almost 13% to 18.235 million units year-to-date, compared with 16.179 million in the same period last year.
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BYD’s global sales rose by 27% to 2,490,250 units in the first seven months of 2025, including a 133% surge in overseas sales to 545,003 units. Overall sales of passenger PHEVs surged by 15% to 1,253,033 units, while passenger BEV sales rose by 40% to 1,201,268 units and commercial vehicle sales jumped nearly fivefold to 35,949 units.
SAIC Motor reported a 15% increase in global sales to 2,390,122units year-to-date, driven by a 35% surge in SAIC-GM-Wuling’s deliveries to 874,117 units. SAIC-VW’s sales dropped by 4% to 593,091 units, while SAIC-GM’s sales increased by 19% to 240,579 units from depressed levels a year earlier. Overseas sales increased by just over 1% to 576,125 units, while global NEV sales surged by 43% to 763,557 units.
Geely Automobile Holdings reported a 49% rise in global sales to 1,646,897 units in the first seven months of 2025, while Chery Automobile’s sales rose by 14% to 1,484,563 units, including 669,360 exports. GAC Group, including its joint ventures with Toyota and Honda, reported a 13% sales decline to 874,782 units, while Great Wall Motor’s sales increased by less than 4% to 674,161 units –with overseas sales rising by 2% to 238,746 units.
Tesla’s Shanghaifactory sales fell by 14% to 432,360 unitsyear-to-date, withretail sales in China falling by 6% to 304,027 units despite the recent launch of the revised Model Y, while exports plunged by 27% to 128,333 units.
