Passenger Vehicle Retail Sales Drop 19% YoY in First Week of September; NEV Penetration Rate Exceeds 70%

Gasgoo Munich- On Sept. 10, the CPCA released market scan data for the first week of September 2026 (Sept. 1-6). Retail sales hit 210,000 units in the first week, down 19% year-on-year and slipping 1% from the previous month. Cumulative retail sales for the year stood at 11.926 million units, a 21% annual decline.

On the wholesale side, automakers shipped 207,000 units from Sept. 1 to 6, a 21% year-on-year drop but a 13% increase from August. Cumulative wholesale volume for the year reached 17.39 million units, down 5%. Daily retail and wholesale figures both averaged 35,000 units.

Image Source: CPCA

On a daily basis, retail sales averaged 35,000 units in the first week of September, down 19% year-on-year and down 1% sequentially. Manufacturers' daily wholesale volume also hit 35,000 units, falling 21% annually despite a 13% monthly rise.

The new energy market remained relatively resilient. NEV retail sales for the first week came in at 150,000 units, down just 3% year-on-year but climbing 15% from August. Year-to-date NEV retail sales reached 6.824 million units, a 12% decline. On the wholesale side, NEV volume totaled 156,000 units, edging up 2% annually and surging 20% month-over-month, bringing the cumulative total to 9.934 million units—a 9% gain. The retail penetration rate hit 71.5%, while wholesale penetration reached 75.1%.

Turning to production, output of pure fuel light vehicles stood at 101,000 units in the first week—plunging 47% from last year but soaring 86% compared to the previous week. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid production reached 85,000 units, down 11% annually but up 35% sequentially. Dragged by a sharp slump in fuel vehicle retail, wholesale volumes for traditional combustion models plummeted 53% in the first week, leaving overall manufacturer sales sluggish.

The CPCA noted that September marks the start of the traditional "Golden September, Silver October" peak season, with showroom traffic expected to pick up. However, a high base from last year may limit the extent of this month's recovery.