China exported more electric vehicles and plug-in vehicles than gasoline or diesel cars for the first time in April, as automakers expanded aggressively overseas to offset subdued demand in the domestic market.
China exported 769,000 automobiles in April, with new-energy vehicles, a term that includes EVs and plug-in hybrids, accounting for 52.7% of total exports, the China Passenger Car Association said Monday.
Exports of new-energy vehicles more-than doubled to 406,000 units in April, the data showed.
The surging exports came as the domestic market continued to face pressure from weak consumption sentiment. Retail sales of passenger cars in April fell 21.5% from a year earlier to 1.38 million units, the CPCA said. Sales declined 16% compared with March, according to news agencies.
Rising oil prices also weighed on demand for traditional gasoline-powered vehicles, the agency added, as consumers increasingly shifted toward new-energy cars to avoid higher fuel costs.
The Beijing Auto Show in April provided a slight boost to market sentiment, though sales remained below year-earlier levels. Retail sales of EVs and hybrid cars fell 6.8% to 849,000 units in April.
Tesla exported 53,522 units made at its Shanghai plant and sold 79,478 units to Chinese buyers.
Looking ahead, China’s auto market will continue to face slowing demand as weak consumption sentiment and higher oil prices damp buyers’ willingness to purchase cars.
Exports are expected to become the main growth driver for China’s auto industry. Leading automakers are likely to keep expanding in Europe and Latin America to offset weaker demand in the Middle East, the industry body said.
