China's Automobile Exports Reach New Heights Compliance and Quality Enhancement Lead New Globalization Journey

According to the “Analysis of China's Automotive Export Market for 2025,” China's automotive exports reached 8.32 million units in 2025, marking a 30% year-on-year increase and setting a new historical record. New energy vehicle exports demonstrated particularly strong performance, reaching 3.43 million units for the year—a 70% surge compared to the previous year. This growth rate significantly outpaced overall export expansion. China's automotive exports have undergone a profound transformation from “scale expansion” to “quality enhancement,” securing an increasingly pivotal position within the global automotive industry landscape.

In 2025, the core highlights of China's automotive exports lie in simultaneous growth in both volume and quality, alongside structural optimization. In terms of overall scale, annual exports achieved leapfrog growth compared to the 5.859 million units exported in 2024. December alone saw exports reach 990,000 units, marking a 73% year-on-year increase and a 23% month-on-month rise, with export momentum remaining robust at year-end. In terms of export structure, new energy vehicles (NEVs) emerged as the primary growth engine. The share of pure electric and plug-in hybrid models continued to rise, with plug-in hybrids demonstrating particularly rapid growth and becoming a new highlight of export expansion. Meanwhile, the proportion of pure internal combustion engine vehicles declined by 11% year-on-year, reflecting significant progress in the industry's green transformation.

Leading automakers delivered outstanding performance, collectively driving export growth. Data shows Chery retained its top position with 1.344 million units exported, accounting for 47.9% of its annual total sales; SAIC Group ranked second with 1.071 million units; BYD surged to third place with 1.0496 million exports, a staggering 145% year-on-year increase, making it the fastest-growing brand among top automakers. Multiple star models gained global popularity, including BYD's Dolphin derivative, Tang EV, Song PLUS EV, Seagull, Chery Jaecoo 7, Geely Galaxy L7, Great Wall Haval H6 HEV, and Leapmotor T03 all sold well overseas. Among these, the Seal U retained its position as Europe's best-selling plug-in hybrid, while the Seagull earned the title of World City Car, showcasing the dual advantages of Chinese automotive technology and cost competitiveness.

Market expansion has achieved diversified breakthroughs, with a dual-engine growth model of “emerging + mature” markets now firmly established. By 2025, China's automotive exports have completely shed reliance on a single emerging market, successfully penetrating mature markets like Europe, the United States, and Japan. Europe stands out as a particularly strong performer, with Chinese automakers achieving annual sales of 811,000 units in the region—a 99% year-on-year increase. Market share surged from 3.1% to 6.1%, reaching a remarkable 9.5% in December alone. In terms of export destination distribution, Mexico, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates ranked as the top three destinations for whole vehicle exports. Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Mexico emerged as the primary markets for new energy vehicle exports. This diversified overseas market strategy has effectively enhanced the industry's resilience against risks.

The overseas expansion model has achieved a strategic upgrade, transitioning from product exports to a new phase of full-industry-chain ecosystem globalization. By 2025, major automakers accelerated their overseas manufacturing plans, with BYD, Great Wall, SAIC, and others successively establishing localized production projects in Thailand, Brazil, Europe, and other regions, forming a multi-regional production layout. Simultaneously, core component suppliers like CATL and Sunwoda followed automakers overseas, establishing production bases abroad to form localized “vehicle + components” industrial clusters. China's automotive exports have evolved from single-product exports to coordinated full-industry-chain exports, with overseas investment surpassing domestic investment for the first time.

Industry regulations continue to evolve, with policies safeguarding high-quality development. In November 2025, four ministries including the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology jointly issued a notice stipulating that starting January 1, 2026, exports of new vehicles disguised as used cars will be strictly controlled. Through rigorous qualification reviews and full-chain oversight, this initiative aims to rectify industry malpractices, compelling companies to shift from “price wars” to “value wars.” The implementation of this policy has effectively purified the export market environment, clearing development obstacles for leading automakers operating in compliance. This shift propels China's automotive exports away from unregulated growth toward a mature, stable path of high-quality development.

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