China's NEV share of new car sales climbs to record 61.6% in September

BEIJING -- New energy vehicles (NEVs) accounted for a record 61.6 percent of China's monthly new car sales in September, marking the third consecutive month above the 60 percent threshold, while the cumulative share for the first three quarters rose to 53.6 percent, industry data showed on Monday.

In the first three quarters of 2026, NEV output and sales reached 12.483 million and 12.472 million units, respectively, both up by more than 10 percent year-on-year, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).

Overall auto output and sales in September stood at 2.99 million and 2.956 million units, respectively, up 11.4 percent and 9 percent month on month.

NEV output and sales for the month reached 1.814 million and 1.823 million units, up 12.2 percent and 13.6 percent year-on-year, respectively.

In the first three quarters, auto output and sales totaled 23.246 million and 23.271 million units, edging down slightly year-on-year.

Vehicle exports maintained rapid growth. In September, China exported 1.053 million vehicles, up 61.4 percent year-on-year, including 571,000 NEVs, more than double the figure a year earlier, the data showed. NEVs accounted for more than half of total vehicle exports for the fourth consecutive month.

During the January-September period, auto exports totaled 8.205 million units, including over 4 million NEVs, more than double the level a year earlier.

"Despite a complex and severe external environment, exports have continued to grow rapidly, demonstrating strong resilience, while domestic new growth drivers are being steadily unleashed and the share of NEV sales is rising steadily," said Chen Shihua, deputy secretary-general of CAAM.

Looking ahead to the fourth quarter, the industry is expected to maintain steady operation, Chen said.