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Recently, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers released a remarkable set of data: in the first seven months of this year, China's automobile production was+18.235 million units, a year-on-year increase of+12.7%; Sales increased by+18.269 million units, a year-on-year growth of+12%; Vehicle exports increased by 36.8 million units, a year-on-year growth of 12.8%. This data indicates that against the backdrop of increasingly fierce competition in the global automotive market, China's automobile exports are showing a strong growth trend.
Among numerous driving factors, new energy vehicles have undoubtedly become the main driving force for the growth of automobile exports. In the first 7 months, the export of new energy vehicles increased by 1308000 units, a year-on-year increase of 84.6%, becoming a major highlight of foreign trade growth. In July, the export volume of new energy vehicles accounted for 39.1% of the total automobile exports, an increase of 4.5 percentage points compared to the previous month, reaching a historic high. New energy vehicles have become the main driving force for the growth of automobile exports, and this trend has been particularly prominent this year. From the perspective of export pattern, it presents the characteristics of "leading by top enterprises and follow-up by emerging enterprises". Brands such as BYD, Geely, Chery, and Changan have shown strong performance, and some emerging domestic brands have also begun to emerge in overseas markets, indicating that the overall competitiveness of Chinese new energy brands is improving. For example, BYD's overseas sales exceeded+4.7 million vehicles in the first half of this year, approaching the level of the whole year last year, with a year-on-year growth of over+130%. At present, its new energy vehicle models have entered more than 110 countries and regions across six continents worldwide. In terms of production capacity layout, BYD has established production bases in Thailand, Brazil, Hungary, Uzbekistan and other places. At the same time, more and more Chinese car companies are accelerating their pace of building factories overseas, moving from a single vehicle export to a new stage of "localized production++global services"+. On August 22, BYD Auto announced that it will build an assembly plant in Malaysia, expected to officially start production in 2026. On August 16th, Great Wall Motors Brazil factory was officially completed and put into operation. In the initial stage, it will focus on producing models such as Haval+H6+series, Haval+H9, 2.4T+Great Wall Cannon, etc., which not only meet the demand for intelligence and electrification in the Brazilian market, but also radiate to the entire Latin American market. Mainstream car companies such as GAC Group, Changan Automobile, and Xiaopeng Motors have also invested in building factories in many parts of the world.
From the perspective of export product structure, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles have become the main incremental point of exports. In the first 7 months of this year, China exported 833000 pure electric vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 50.2%; During the same period, the export of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles reached 475000 units, a year-on-year increase of 210%. Cui Dongshu, Secretary General of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, believes that shifting from whole vehicle exports to CKD+exports and localized overseas production is the future trend, which will help enterprises better enhance their localization service capabilities.
In terms of export destinations, European countries such as Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Spain, ASEAN countries such as the Philippines, and Latin American countries such as Mexico and Brazil have become the main destinations for new energy vehicle exports. Despite some disruptions in exports to the EU region, rapid growth was still achieved in June and July. Chinese automobile companies are gradually gaining the trust of overseas consumers through diversified technological routes, intelligent functional configurations, excellent cost-effectiveness, and flexible sales and service strategies. For the automotive market in the second half of the year, Chen Shihua, Deputy Secretary General of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, believes that clear national policies will help stabilize consumer confidence, continue to boost automobile consumption, and ensure the smooth operation of the industry in the second half of the year. The association predicts that the total annual sales of automobiles will reach+32.9 million, a year-on-year increase of+4.7%, with sales of new energy vehicles expected to reach+16 million.
Overall, driven by new energy vehicles, China's automobile exports are constantly writing new chapters. With the continuous advancement of technology and the continuous improvement of overseas layout, Chinese automobiles are expected to occupy a more important position in the international market.
