Chinese EV market sets a new record - more than 60% of all vehicle sales in April were NEVs

According to the latest data from the China Passenger Car Association, the local news outlet Dongchedi reports that NEVs (New Energy Vehicles) accounted for 61.4% of all car sales in April, setting a new record for the collective EV and PHEV market. At the same time, traditional vehicles saw a massive collapse - nine out of ten top-selling models were NEVs in the country, and only one was ICE.

Here are the top 10 cars for April 2026:

• Geely Xingyuan (Geely Galaxy EX2): 34,727 units
• Xiaomi SU7: 26,826 units
• Tesla Model Y: 22,990 units
• Li Auto i6: 21,024 units
• Changan Qiyuan (Nevo) Q05: 15,814 units
• BYD Sealion 06 EV: 15,659 units
• BYD Yuan Up: 15,658 units
• Geely Coolray (ICE): 14,923 units
• Leapmotor A10: 14,372 units
• BYD Dolphin: 14,218 units

For context, there were 5 internal combustion vehicles on the list in March and 7 in January.

However, there are also some alarming figures beneath the data. The overall passenger vehicle market fell 21.5% year-over-year in April. It's just that NEV sales didn't fall as much, only 6.8% YoY, while the ICE segment collapsed by 37%.

The domestic brands snatched more than 80% of the total NEV sales, while mainstream joint ventures recorded a 14% market share. The top brands by sales volume in April are:

• BYD: 182,025 units
• Geely: 95,585 units
• Changan: 64,471 units
• Leapmotor: 57,162 units
• Xiaomi: 36,702 units
• Chery: 34,768 units
• Li Auto: 34,085 units
• Nio: 29,312 units

Exports saw a significant surge, too. For the first time ever, NEVs accounted for more than half of all vehicle exports - 52.7% to be exact. BYD, Chery and Tesla are leading the pack.

Experts say that the rising oil costs and the rising consumer confidence in electric vehicles are the main drivers for the fundamental shift in consumer preference this year.

Source