Gasgoo Munich- China's auto output and sales reached 2.575 million and 2.526 million units in April 2026, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. That represents an 11.7% and 12.9% drop from March, and a 1.7% and 2.5% decline from a year earlier. For the first four months, cumulative production and sales hit 9.614 million and 9.574 million units — down 5.5% and 4.8% respectively, though the pace of decline is slowing compared to the first quarter.
Passenger vehicle output and sales stood at 2.197 million and 2.129 million units in April, slipping 10.2% and 11.7% from the previous month. Year-on-year, they fell 2.6% and 4.2% respectively. Cumulative figures for the first four months reached 8.105 million and 8.063 million units, marking a 7.5% and 6.7% annual decline.
Commercial vehicles outperformed the broader market. Production and sales came in at 378,000 and 397,000 units in April — down 19.7% and 18.5% month-on-month, but up 4.4% and 8.1% from a year ago. Over the first four months, cumulative output and sales totaled 1.508 million and 1.511 million units, rising 7.0% and 6.5% respectively.
New-energy vehicle production and sales climbed to 1.32 million and 1.344 million units in April, rising 7.2% and 7.4% from March and gaining 5.5% and 9.7% year-on-year. The market penetration rate for NEVs hit 53.2% for the month. Pure electric vehicles accounted for 905,000 of those sales — a 10.2% jump — while plug-in hybrids reached 439,000 units, up 8.8%.
Cumulative NEV output and sales for the first four months reached 4.285 million and 4.304 million units. Production slipped 3.2% from a year earlier, while sales edged up 0.1%, bringing the penetration rate to 45%.
Exports continued their surge. Auto shipments overseas totaled 901,000 units in April — up 3.0% from March and soaring 74.4% year-on-year. Passenger vehicle exports led the charge at 796,000 units, an 84.6% jump, while commercial vehicle exports rose 23.5% to 106,000 units. New-energy vehicle exports surged 1.1-fold to 430,000 units. For the first four months, total exports reached 3.127 million units, climbing 61.5%.
In contrast to the booming overseas market, domestic demand is feeling the squeeze. Data shows domestic sales slipped to 1.625 million units in April, down 19.7% from March and 21.6% from a year ago. Sales of traditional internal combustion engine vehicles fell even harder, dropping 32.2% to 710,000 units. Cumulative domestic sales for the first four months totaled 6.447 million units, a 20.6% annual decline.
