New Energy Vehicles (NEV) accounted for a record 62.9% of China’s passenger vehicle sales in May, highlighting the country’s continued shift toward electrification.
Data from the China Passenger Car Association shows that retail passenger car sales reached 1.51 million units in May, representing a 22.1% decline compared with the same period last year.
Out of the total, NEV sales reached 950,000 units, reflecting a 7.5% year-on-year decline, but still securing a dominant 62.9% share of overall passenger vehicle sales.
According to China Daily, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) remained the primary driver of growth, with wholesale deliveries reaching 886,000 units in May. This marked a 16.6% increase year-on-year and a 13.9% rise compared with April.
BEVs accounted for 65.7% of total NEV wholesale volume during the month, up 3.3 percentage points from a year earlier and 2.1 percentage points from the previous month.
Analysts attribute the strengthening performance of pure electric models to expanding charging infrastructure and rapid advancements in technology, including 800V platforms, ultra-fast charging systems, and higher-capacity batteries, which are helping improve adoption.
Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) recorded wholesale sales of 372,000 units, up 10.5% year-on-year and 2.9% month-on-month. They made up 27.5% of total NEV wholesale sales, a share largely stable compared with last year but down 2.0 percentage points from April.
Extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) posted wholesale sales of 95,000 units, rising 8.9% from April but falling 24.9% year-on-year. They accounted for 7.0% of total NEV wholesale volume, down 3.3 percentage points from a year earlier and 0.1 percentage points from the previous month.
