Recently, a set of comparative data from the "2025 China Automotive Aftermarket Annual Development Report," jointly released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers and Hejun Consulting, has drawn widespread attention. The report indicates that the average age of internal combustion engine passenger cars in China has reached 8.2 years, with vehicles older than seven years accounting for nearly 60%. In contrast, the average age of new energy passenger vehicles is just 1.8 years, and a staggering 90% fall within the one-to-three-year range. Consequently, the hashtag "#AverageNEVAgeIsOnly1.8Years" hit the trending list on Weibo.
Image Source: @Yi Jing Zeng Qinglin
Zeng Qinglin responded via Weibo to the trending topic "#Average NEV Age Is Only 1.8 Years," stating that the phenomenon of a low average age for new energy vehicles is directly linked to the rapid climb in penetration rates in recent years—rising from 20% in the past to over 60% today. Since the vast majority of new energy vehicles on the market were sold in the last two or three years, this naturally pulls down the overall average. Furthermore, the pace of technological iteration in the new energy sector was rapid in previous years, with significant changes in battery performance, intelligent driving assistance, and smart cockpit experiences. Early buyers were mostly consumers who preferred new technology, and their vehicle replacement cycles were relatively shorter.
Zeng Qinglin also pointed out that this phased rapid iteration conforms to the development laws of emerging industries. As the industry gradually moves toward maturity, the pace of technological upgrades is expected to slow. He mentioned that certain core technologies of new energy vehicles have begun to stabilize and mature, such as battery reliability and the smoothness of cockpit hardware.
Addressing the widespread "obsolescence anxiety" among consumers, he suggested that when purchasing a car, one should pay moderate attention to forward-looking hardware configurations, such as LiDAR with redundancy capabilities reserved for higher-level autonomous driving. At the same time, by combining this with the high-frequency over-the-air (OTA) remote upgrade services provided by automakers, vehicles can continuously receive functional updates, thereby extending the product's usage value and the owner's psychological satisfaction cycle.
Overall, the significant difference in age structure between fuel vehicles and new energy vehicles not only reflects the vastly different development stages of the two market segments but also refracts the deep impact of consumer psychology and technological evolution on the vehicle usage ecosystem.
Industry observers believe that as new energy penetration rates stabilize and technology platforms mature, the age gap between the two may narrow in the future. Meanwhile, how to alleviate user iteration anxiety through product planning and software services has become a long-term challenge for automakers.
