Data released on Tuesday by China’s Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) has revealed that 51.6% of all vehicle sales in the country last month were new energy vehicles (NEV) — surpassing 5o% for the first time.
The data covers both passenger and commercial vehicles — which include buses, delivery vans, and trucks.
The milestone for passenger vehicles alone had already been reached in September, according to data by China’s Passenger Car Association (CPCA).
Additionally, CPCA figures showed that battery electric passenger vehicle (BEV) sales jumped 20.4% year over year in October.
At the same time, the share of extended-range hybrids (EREV) and plug-in hybrids (PHEV) declined by 10.3% and 7.7%, respectively, in the same period.
Contrasting Trend
Numbers from the CAAM showed on Wednesday that a total of 1.07 million battery electric vehicles were sold in China, a 10.5% increase from the same month a year ago.
In October, the share of PHEVs rose 30.9% year over year. This increase likely came from commercial vehicles, since passenger vehicle figures for October were not as positive.
Plug-in hybrids represented 639,000 vehicles in the total 1.7 million NEVs sold last month.
The figures indicate that over 60% of new energy vehicles sold in October were fully electric.
As electric vehicles gain traction, some automakers initially committed to a single powertrain — either going fully electric or focusing on hybrid options.
However, many are now expanding their lineups to include both.
Li Auto
Li Auto, which initially produced only plug-in hybrid vehicles, through which it grew a large market position in China, expanded its portfolio to include electric vehicles last year.
The Beijing-based company launched its first fully electric model, the Mega, in March 2024 — just three months after the fully electric XPeng X9, which is now the best-selling electric multi-purpose van in China.
Li Auto‘s second fully electric model, the Li i8 SUV, was launched in late July.
However, amid growing competition in the three-row EV segment, sales of the SUV have fallen short of expectations.
Its main rival, the Onvo L90, also launched in late July, has led registrations in China over the past two months.
Nio
Onvo‘s chief Fei Shen had noted in a Weibo post in July that “the entire pure electric market is growing rapidly year-on-year, while range-extenders and plug-in hybrids are declining year-on-year.”
He added that “more and more pure electric six-seat SUVs are appearing,” with the “‘pure electric large six-seater’ is no longer a ‘niche choice.'”
These comments reinforce Nio’s repeated statements that it has no plans to expand into hybrid powertrains.
In late 2024, the company denied rumours suggesting it might launch a hybrid version for the Firefly sub-brand.
XPeng
On the other hand, XPeng has just expanded its lineup to include hybrids.
Last week, the company unveiled the extended-range version (EREV) of the X9 MPV, with pre-sales starting from 350,000 yuan ($49,100).
Recent catalogues by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) have also revealed hybrid versions of the G6 and G7 SUVs and the P7 sedan.
XPeng unveiled its hybrid technology exactly a year ago, at its 2024 AI Day — the Kunpeng Super Extended-Range System.
Xiaomi
Tech giant Xiaomi, which launched in the EV market a year and a half ago, is also preparing to introduce hybrids in its portfolio.
Leaked images on Chinese social media last month showed what may be the upcoming Xiaomi YU9.
The vehicle reportedly features an extended-range hybrid system.
Deutsche Bank analysts expect Xiaomi to launch a large D-segment hybrid SUV in 2026, which would align with the model that has been seen roadtesting.
