GreenergyDaily

May. 11, 2026

China's domestic car sales fell sharply in April as deliveries of gasoline vehicles plunged amid the Iran oil shock.

Passenger vehicle sales fell 21.5% from a year earlier to 1.4 million units in April, according to data released Monday by the China Passenger Car Association, marking the weakest April performance since 2022.

Deliveries of internal combustion engine vehicles plunged by roughly one-third, while sales of new-energy vehicles — including EVs and plug-in hybrids — declined 6.8%.

The plunge in gasoline car sales was "relatively severe and surpassed our expectation," PCA General Secretary Cui Dongshu said in a briefing on Monday. "The hit from higher oil prices has had a serious impact on the market."

In contrast, China's vehicle exports remained strong in April.

Overall vehicle exports rose 80.7% from a year earlier to 769,000 units, while exports of NEVs jumped 111.8%.