<div id="readability-page-1"><blockquote><ul><li>China's April NEV retail penetration rate is expected to rise above 60% for the first time, with NEVs rebounding as the broader auto market continues to decline.</li><li>A mild macroeconomic recovery has not immediately translated into a strong rebound in big-ticket consumption.</li></ul></blockquote><figure id="attachment_139862"><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://cnevpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2026042706445683.jpg?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="1600" height="900" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://cnevpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2026042706445683.jpg"/><figcaption id="caption-attachment-139862">(A BYD model on display at the Beijing Auto Show in April 2026. Image credit: CnEVPost)</figcaption></figure><p>The China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) expects China's April new energy vehicle (NEV) retail sales to edge up from March, with the penetration rate hitting a new high as internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles continue to under-perform.</p><p>Preliminary estimates show China's April NEV retail sales are expected to reach about 860,000 units, according to a CPCA report on Friday.</p><p>The figure represents a slight increase from about 850,000 units in the previous month, but is lower than the 905,000 units recorded a year earlier.</p>    <div>        <p><span>Join us on </span>            Telegram            <span> or </span>            Google News        </p>    </div>                            <div>                <p>China passenger NEV retail sales -- CPCA</p>                <p><span>                <span></span>                2024            </span>                        <span>                <span></span>                2025            </span>                        <span>                <span></span>                2026            </span>                    </p>                                                <div>                        <p>*Apr 2026 figure is CPCA estimate</p>                        <p><span>Source: CPCA</span>                <span>© CnEVPost</span>            </p>        </div>    </div>                <p>Total passenger car retail sales for April are estimated at about 1.42 million units, representing a month-on-month decline of roughly 13.8%.</p><p>This implies that the market penetration rate of passenger NEVs will reach a record level of about 60.6% in April, surpassing the 60% mark on a monthly basis for the first time.</p><p>In March, China's passenger car retail sales stood at about 1.65 million units, down 15.0% year-on-year.</p><p>Passenger NEV retail sales in March also faced downward pressure, coming in at 852,000 units, which represented a 14.1% year-on-year drop.</p><p>For the entire first quarter, passenger car retail sales totaled 4.226 million units, experiencing a 17.4% decline from a year earlier.</p><p>Although China's GDP posted a 5% year-on-year growth in the first quarter of 2026, auto retail sales showed a 9.1% year-on-year decline, the CPCA noted.</p><p>The mild macroeconomic recovery has not immediately translated into a robust rebound in big-ticket consumption, and upward pressure on oil prices has kept the ICE vehicle market under continuous strain, the CPCA said.</p><p>The auto market's sales pace in the first week of April was significantly impacted by the Tomb-Sweeping Day holiday, with average daily retail sales falling back to about 25,000 units.</p><p>As average daily retail sales steadily recovered to 38,000 units in the second week, with both year-on-year and month-on-month declines narrowing, market sentiment began to show a mild recovery.</p><p>With the intensive release and debut of new models ahead of the Beijing Auto Show, terminal foot traffic and sales orders saw a significant rebound in the third and fourth weeks.</p><p>The focus of competition in China's auto market is undergoing a significant shift, further evolving from simple price wars to competition based on product strength, the CPCA said.</p><p>The overall Chinese auto market is currently at a critical stage of smooth transition, undergoing a clear shift from being policy-driven to being guided by the market and driven by products, the CPCA noted.</p>    <div>        <div>            <p><img width="768" height="432" src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://cnevpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2026041100254063-768x432.jpg?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://cnevpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2026041100254063-768x432.jpg"/>                            </p>        </div>        <div>            <p>Automakers' share in China NEV market in Mar: BYD tops with 22.8%, Tesla 4th with 6.6%</p>            <p>BYD captured a 22.8% share of China's NEV retail market in March, expanding its lead over Geely.</p>                    </div>    </div>                                                                                    </div>

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<p>The China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) anticipates that China's April NEV retail sales will rise to approximately 860,000 units, marking a slight increase from March. The NEV penetration rate is expected to exceed 60% for the first time, despite a broader decline in the auto market. Total passenger car retail sales are projected at 1.42 million units, reflecting a month-on-month drop of about 13.8%. The CPCA notes that while GDP grew by 5% in Q1 2026, auto retail sales fell by 9.1%, indicating a slow recovery in big-ticket consumption.</p>

CPCA expects China's April NEV retail sales to edge up to 860,000 units