For every three cars sold,

one is exported overseas.

In the first four months of 2026, one out of every three cars sold in China was exported overseas.

According to data disclosed by Cui Dongshu, Secretary-General of the China Passenger Car Association, from January to April 2026, China exported a cumulative total of 3.28 million vehicles, representing a year-on-year increase of 52%. Export revenue reached USD 56.9 billion, up 54% year-on-year, setting new recent highs in both volume and value. Notably, in April, NEV exports accounted for over 50% for the first time, becoming the mainstay of exports.

Cui Dongshu stated that this year, the passenger vehicle market has been influenced by multiple factors, including adjustments to NEV purchase tax policies, weak consumer confidence, and high fuel prices. The market has exhibited a trend of "slowing domestic growth, surging exports, contracting fuel vehicle sales, and NEV dominance."

According to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, from January to April, China's cumulative automobile production and sales stood at 9.614 million and 9.574 million units, respectively, down 5.5% and 4.8% year-on-year. Against the backdrop of sluggish growth in the domestic automobile market, overseas markets have emerged as a crucial pillar for stabilizing the industry and driving overall growth.

Exports become the growth engine

According to customs data, in April 2026, China's automobile exports achieved a strong breakthrough despite high fuel prices and tight shipping capacity: 939,000 complete vehicles were exported, worth USD 16.1 billion, representing year-on-year increases of 51% and 44% in volume and value, respectively.

Leading automobile companies have become the main drivers of export growth, with several enterprises achieving record-high monthly export volumes.

Chery exported 177,600 vehicles in April, up 102.4% year-on-year, setting a new record for monthly automobile exports in China. This marked the 12th consecutive month that Chery Group exported over 100,000 vehicles in a single month. From January to April, Chery Group exported a cumulative total of 570,900 vehicles, up 66.3% year-on-year.

BYD's overseas sales reached 134,500 vehicles in April, up 70.9% year-on-year, setting a new record for the brand's monthly exports. Exports accounted for 42% of total sales, with cumulative overseas sales exceeding 450,000 vehicles in the first four months.

SAIC Motor's overseas sales reached approximately 125,000 vehicles in April (including exports and overseas base sales), with the MG brand contributing significantly. The MG4 model sold over 10,000 units for seven consecutive months, while SAIC-GM-Wuling's overseas exports exceeded 30,000 units for the first time.

Geely Automobile performed outstandingly in overseas markets, with 83,100 vehicles exported in April, achieving both year-on-year and month-on-month growth, with a staggering 245.0% year-on-year increase. Notably, NEV products accounted for 58.8% of overseas sales in April, with 48,900 units sold.

Notably, the overseas expansion models of Chinese automobile companies are undergoing a qualitative transformation. Companies such as SAIC MG, BYD, and Geely are establishing overseas production bases, R&D centers, and service networks, promoting product localization, talent localization, and service system localization, shifting from merely "selling cars" to "taking root" in foreign markets.

Simultaneously, these companies are adhering to technological innovation and brand premiumization. Brands like VOYAH, NIO, and Li Auto are focusing on high-value markets, establishing a Chinese brand image through high-quality products and comprehensive services, breaking stereotypes about Chinese automobiles in overseas markets.

Joint venture brands are also embracing this wave of overseas expansion, initiating a new model of reverse output. Nissan and Dongfeng have established an export joint venture to export NEV models developed in China to markets such as Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, leveraging the cost and technological advantages of China's ecological system to explore overseas markets. Ivan Espinosa, CEO of Nissan Motor Company, told China Newsweek, "The core technologies, development speed, and cost advantages achieved through China's ecological system for these export products will also play a significant role in overseas markets."

On May 15, Dongfeng Motor, Stellantis Group, and Shenlong Automobile signed a strategic cooperation agreement. The total investment for this collaboration exceeds RMB 8 billion. Starting from 2027, two NEV off-road models under the Jeep® brand are planned to be produced at Shenlong's Wuhan plant, with global market distribution.

NEV exports lead the way

Notably, NEVs have not only driven the expansion of export scale but also brought about a historic transformation in the export structure. In April 2026, NEV exports accounted for over 50% for the first time, reaching 52.7%, marking a historic turning point in China's automobile exports.

Data shows that 406,000 NEV passenger vehicles were exported in April, up 111.8% year-on-year and 18.3% month-on-month. From January to April, a cumulative total of 1.306 million NEV passenger vehicles were exported, up 118.7% year-on-year, far exceeding the industry average growth rate.

Today, the global recognition of Chinese NEVs continues to rise, with the European market becoming a key arena for Chinese brands to achieve premiumization breakthroughs. Geely's overseas layout serves as a typical example of NEV exports: In April, its NEV products accounted for 58.8% of overseas sales, with 48,901 units sold. Simultaneously, it launched the Galaxy E5 and Galaxy Starship 7 EM-i dual NEV models at the Louvre in France, forging strategic partnerships with Portuguese and Austrian enterprises to accelerate its expansion into the European market with NEVs as the entry point.

VOYAH Automobile adheres to a high-value route, striving to establish a premium image for Chinese manufacturing. Companies like Seres are promoting the global output of technical standards. Chinese NEVs are upgrading from product exports to comprehensive outputs of brands, technologies, and services.

"Europeans are more focused on energy transition, presenting a significant opportunity for Chinese NEVs," Lu Fang, Chairman and Party Secretary of VOYAH Automobile Technology Co., Ltd., told China Newsweek. "We adhere to a high-value route in overseas markets. As a state-owned enterprise, we should embody the image of Chinese manufacturing. We hope to establish our brand, enhance user experience and services, and gain the trust of more overseas users in Chinese brands and products."

Behind the soaring overseas sales of Chinese NEVs lie multiple advantages in battery electric vehicle (BEV) technology, intelligent experience, and cost control. Today, China boasts the world's most complete NEV industrial chain, with core technologies such as blade batteries, 800V high-voltage platforms, and advanced intelligent driving systems. This positions Chinese products at the forefront of the global energy transition wave. From power batteries and motor controls to intelligent cockpits and autonomous driving chips, Chinese component companies are expanding overseas alongside complete vehicle companies. CATL has established battery factories in Europe, providing localized support for SAIC, BYD, and others, forming a virtuous cycle of complete vehicles and components expanding overseas together.

Entering the critical phase of automobile exports

The rapid growth of China's automobile exports is an inevitable result of industrial upgrading and a microcosm of the Refactoring (restructuring) of the global competitive landscape. Beneath the surface of prosperity, the path to globalization has entered a critical phase.

Kang Bo, Vice President of Seres Group, stated bluntly at the 2026 High-Level Forum on Intelligent Electric Vehicle Development that Chinese brands' internationalization follows a three-stage development path: The first stage is "going in," establishing a business foundation through trade cooperation; the second stage is "going up," promoting localized production and R&D; the third stage is "going out," achieving global output of technical standards and brand value. Today, there is an industry consensus in China that globalization is not simply about exporting products but involves comprehensive output of technology, products, services, and brand value.

In February 2026, the 19th meeting of the United Nations Informal Working Group on Automated Driving Systems (ADS IWG) was held in Shanghai. This marked the first offline meeting of this mechanism in China, with the Chinese delegation deeply involved in constructing core rules. Technical proposals submitted by China on key issues such as defining dynamic driving tasks and safety logic for human-machine interaction were incorporated into the core text of the draft global regulations on automated driving and adopted by consensus. At the meeting, industry experts from multiple countries experienced XPENG's advanced intelligent driving system firsthand, verifying the practical application level of domestic intelligent driving technology.

Today, China has broken away from its previous development model of following international standards, deeply participating in and leading the co-construction of global regulations for the automated driving industry. It is gradually ascending to the core discourse power (discourse power) camp (camp) in the global intelligent driving field. The practical experience and safety concepts accumulated by the domestic industry continue to provide practical reference paths for global industry development.

The impressive export data for the first four months of 2026 demonstrates the increasingly solid overseas competitive strength of China's automobile industry. However, the real challenges lurking behind rapid development cannot be ignored. Globalization layout (layout) has never been a simple competition of market volume but a comprehensive strength contest involving core technologies, brand reputation, supporting services, and industrial ecology. Currently, Europe's energy transition and consumption upgrades in Southeast Asian and Latin American markets have opened up vast incremental space for domestic automobile companies. However, the complex development environment in overseas markets is also becoming increasingly prominent, with multiple countries setting up tariffs and technical barriers and implementing various trade restriction measures for the purpose of protecting local industries. Automobile companies not only need to adhere to technological independent innovation but also need to deeply engage in localized operations overseas, establish a complete industrial collaboration system, break free from the low-price competition dilemma, and seize the initiative in development amid the global industrial transformation wave.