Exports of new vehicles from China between January and February of this year reached 1.35 million units, a 48.4% increase compared to the start of the previous year, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), and based on analysis by the Association of European Vehicle Logistics (ECG). In January, 681,000 units were exported, a 44.9% increase, while in February it was 672,000, 52% higher than in 2025.
Of the 1.35 million units, passenger cars represented the vast majority with 86.8% of the total volume. Meanwhile, commercial vehicles accounted for 13.2%, with 178,000 units exported. The volume of passenger cars – conventional passenger cars and SUVs – surged by 53.3% compared to the 766,000 units shipped in the same period of 2025. As for commercial vehicles – light, medium, and heavy-duty – their exports grew by 21.9% year-on-year.
Although internal combustion engine vehicles continue to lead the export volume, the trend is changing. At the start of 2026, 769,000 combustion vehicles were exported, 56.8% of the total, representing a moderate growth of 22.3%. In contrast, vehicles powered by “new energies” reached 583,000 exported units. This already represents 43.1% of the total and a growth of 106% compared to last year.
Looking at the technology, battery electric vehicles (BEV) account for 65% of the exported “new energy” vehicles (377,000 units), while plug-in hybrids (PHEV) cover the remaining 35% (206,000 units). Both segments have grown above 100% year-on-year.
According to the ECG list, the manufacturer ranking at the start of 2026 is led by Chery with 243,000 units. It is followed by BYD (201,000), SAIC in third place (188,000), Geely in fourth (156,000), and Changan closing the “top 5” with 109,000 units. The list is completed by Great Wall (83,000), Tesla (71,000), BAIC (55,000), Dongfeng (54,000) and Sinotruk (34,000).
Throughout 2025, the main destination for Chinese vehicles was Mexico, with 625,187 units. The Top 10 includes the United Kingdom (335,551 units) and Belgium (300,103 units). Mexico surpassed Russia as the top destination after growing by 180,000 units compared to 2024. ECG highlights the role of hubs such as the United Arab Emirates (571,937 units) and Belgium, which act as “regional gateways.” From the UAE, vehicles are redistributed to the Middle East and Africa, while Belgium remains the main access route for the European market.
