Overview
- China’s passenger car market, which CPCA reported Monday, fell 21.6% year on year in April to about 1.4 million vehicles, marking a seventh straight monthly decline.
- CAAM data show passenger car exports jumped nearly 85% in April to roughly 796,000, with exports of electric and plug‑in hybrid models up more than 110% to about 420,000 as makers redirected output abroad.
- New energy vehicles took a 60.6% share of China’s April sales but still fell 6.8% year on year, with analysts citing subsidy rollbacks, a partial return of purchase taxes, and weak consumer confidence even as high oil prices undercut petrol car demand.
- Global EV registrations rose 6% year on year to 1.6 million in April, according to Benchmark data reported by Reuters, with Europe up 27% on stronger incentives and higher fuel costs as Chinese‑built EVs reached a 22% share of Europe’s 2026 EV market.
- In the UK, SMMT figures show used battery‑electric transactions hit a record near 87,000 in the first quarter, as buyers sought lower running costs in response to rising pump prices.