KATHMANDU: New Energy Vehicle sales in China reached a historic milestone in April 2026. The NEV penetration rate crossed 60 percent for the first time, while sales of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles continued to decline sharply.
According to data from the China Passenger Car Association, NEVs accounted for 61.4 percent of total passenger vehicle retail sales in April.
Out of the top 10 best-selling passenger vehicles in China, nine were electric or plug-in hybrid models. The only fuel-powered vehicle in the list was the Geely Coolray, which ranked eighth with sales of 14,923 units.
The best-selling model in April was the Geely Xingyuan with 34,727 units sold. It was followed by the Xiaomi SU7 at 26,826 units and the Tesla Model Y at 22,990 units.
Other strong-selling NEV models include the Li Auto i6, BYD Sealion 06 EV, BYD Yuan Up and BYD Dolphin.
China’s passenger vehicle retail sales stood at 1.384 million units in April, down 21.5 percent year-on-year. NEV sales reached 849,000 units, while ICE vehicle sales dropped to 530,000 units.
The decline in fuel-powered vehicle sales was significant. ICE sales fell 37 percent year-on-year and 33 percent compared to the previous month.
Chinese brands continue to lead the transition towards electric mobility. Domestic brands achieved an NEV penetration rate of 80.1 percent. Luxury brands recorded 26.1 percent, while mainstream joint-venture brands reached 14.1 percent.
BYD remained the top-selling NEV brand in April with 182,025 units sold. Geely followed with 95,585 units, while Changan Automobile sold 64,471 units.
Other major NEV brands include Leapmotor, Xiaomi, Chery, Li Auto and Nio.
China also recorded strong EV export growth in April. Total passenger vehicle exports reached 769,000 units, up 80.7 percent year-on-year. NEV exports alone stood at 406,000 units, accounting for 52.7 percent of total exports.
BYD led NEV exports with 130,042 units, followed by Chery with 57,910 units and Tesla China with 53,522 units.
