Gasgoo Munich-Data from a new report is attracting attention within the industry. According to the "2025 China Automotive Aftermarket Annual Development Report" released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) and Hejun Consulting, the average age of internal combustion engine passenger vehicles in China has reached 8.2 years. Nearly 60% of these cars are now over seven years old. By contrast, new energy vehicles average just 1.8 years, and 90% fall into the one-to-three-year bracket. This creates a roughly 4.5-fold gap between the two categories.
Image Credit: Huaban
Industry insiders suggest this disparity must be analyzed in the context of the new energy market's shorter development cycle and rapid technological iteration. Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), argues the data highlights a clear divergence in lifecycle stages and aftermarket needs between fuel and new energy vehicles. For internal combustion engine cars, a large fleet has entered the maintenance phase for core components like engines and chassis. This has created a trillion-yuan aftermarket driven by traditional servicing, repairs, and parts replacement.
Cui attributes the significantly lower average age of new energy vehicles to two primary factors. First, domestic sales did not surge until 2021; with market penetration topping 60% by 2025, an influx of new vehicles has lowered the overall average. Second, technology evolves far faster in new energy vehicles—specifically in the "tri-electric" systems (battery, motor, electronic control) and intelligent driving. A model just two or three years old may already fall behind in range, computing power, or charging efficiency. Coupled with government incentives for trade-ins, this accelerates the replacement cycle for owners.
The report also notes that early electric models from 2016 to 2018 had limited initial volume. Many of those have since transferred to ride-hailing fleets or been scrapped entirely, making high-age new energy passenger vehicles rare on the road today. Ultimately, this structural gap in vehicle age is reshaping the automotive aftermarket into two distinct service sectors.
