16:36 01-01-2026

NEVs lead China’s passenger-car market in December 2025

CPCA data show China’s NEV segment dominated December 2025: 1.192M retail sales, 61.8% share, while overall market fell 17%. Full-year NEV share hit 54.1%.

China closes out 2025 with the NEV segment firmly in command: electric cars and plug-in hybrids continued to hold up the market even as overall retail stayed soft. According to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), between December 1 and 28, retail sales of passenger NEVs reached 1.192 million units. That is 5% higher year over year and roughly 1% above the previous month. For context, from December 1 to 21 the increase was far more modest—about 1% year over year—so the final week nudged the month’s trajectory upward.

In parallel, the broader passenger-car retail market for December 1–28 totaled 1.928 million units, a 17% decline versus a year earlier. Against that backdrop, electrification stands out: NEVs accounted for an estimated 61.8% of retail sales over the period. Put simply, in December most new passenger cars sold in China were already in the new-energy camp, making NEVs the default choice for many buyers.

Full-year totals are equally convincing. Since the start of the year, cumulative retail sales of passenger NEVs reached 12.66 million, up 18% from last year. The NEV share for the year is assessed at around 54.1%, marking a clear shift toward EVs and plug-in hybrids.

Wholesale tells a softer story: NEV shipments from December 1 to 28 came to 1.261 million and declined year over year, which may indicate more cautious inventory management at the year’s end. Taken together, the numbers portray a market that is weak in aggregate yet increasingly anchored by NEVs, with late-December momentum hinting that demand for electrified models remains resilient.