Electric car sales in China rise 28.2% in May

By Emre Aytekin and Gokhan Ergocun

BEIJING (AA) - Sales of rechargeable battery, hybrid, and fuel cell electric vehicles, referred to as “New Energy Vehicles” (NEVs) in China, increased by 28.2% in May compared to the same month last year.

According to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) on Tuesday, 1.02 million electric vehicles were sold in the domestic market in May 2025, marking a 28.2% increase in sales compared to the previous year.

In May, 1.17 million NEVs were produced, with the majority of production sold domestically.

Overall car sales also increased by 13.3% year-on-year to 1.93 million.

The increase in car sales was driven by consumer product trade-in incentive programs aimed at stimulating domestic consumption.

According to data from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, 4.12 million new cars were sold under trade-in incentive programs in the first five months of the year.

Those who trade in their vehicles under the trade-in incentive programs can benefit from incentives provided by central and local governments.