<div id="readability-page-1"><blockquote><ul><li>NEVs continue to dominate China's passenger vehicle market, with the retail penetration rate reaching 58.9% from May 1 to 17.</li><li>NEV wholesale penetration climbed to 59.9% during the May 1-17 period.</li></ul></blockquote><figure id="attachment_141243"><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://cnevpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026052012223378.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/2026/05/2026052012223378.jpg"/><figcaption id="caption-attachment-141243">(A Chery model on display at the Beijing Auto Show in April 2026. Image credit: CnEVPost)</figcaption></figure><p>Retail sales of passenger new energy vehicles (NEVs) in China stood at 400,000 units from May 1 to 17, down 12% year-on-year but up 18% from the same period last month, according to data released Wednesday by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).</p><p>This indicates that NEV demand remained relatively resilient following the release of orders during the May Day holiday, the CPCA said.</p><p>NEVs continued to dominate the Chinese passenger vehicle market, with the retail penetration rate reaching 58.9% between May 1 and May 17.</p>    <div>        <p><span>Join us on </span>            Telegram            <span> or </span>            Google News        </p>    </div><p>Year-to-date, cumulative retail sales of passenger NEVs in China totaled 3.158 million units, a 17% decline compared to the same period last year.</p><p>On the wholesale front, China's passenger NEV sales reached 396,000 units in the first 17 days of May, down 9% year-on-year but up 12% from the same period last month.</p><p>The NEV wholesale penetration rate climbed to 59.9% during the May 1-17 period, reflecting manufacturers' continued pivot toward NEV models.</p><p>Overall passenger vehicle retail sales in China stood at 680,000 units from May 1 to 17, dropping 23% year-on-year but rising 23% month-on-month.</p><p>Year-to-date, China's cumulative overall passenger vehicle retail sales reached 6.285 million units, down 19% from a year earlier.</p><p>In the first week of May (May 1-5), average daily retail sales of passenger vehicles in China were 30,934 units, down 26% year-on-year but up 26% from the same period in April.</p><p>In the second week of May (May 6-10), average daily retail sales of passenger vehicles were 50,536 units, down 17% year-on-year but up 43% from the same period in April.</p><p>In the third week of May (May 11-17), average daily retail sales of passenger vehicles were 39,019 units, down 26% year-on-year but up 7% from the same period in April.</p><p>Wholesale passenger vehicle sales in China from May 1 to 17 totaled 660,000 units, down 18% year-on-year but up 2% month-on-month.</p><p>From May 1 to 5, average daily wholesale sales of passenger vehicles were 19,328 units, down 44% year-on-year and down 24% from the same period last month.</p><p>From May 6 to 10, average daily wholesale sales of passenger vehicles were 44,728 units, down 8% year-on-year but up 29% from the same period last month.</p><p>From May 11 to 17, average daily wholesale sales of passenger vehicles were 48,602 units, down 12% year-on-year and down 2% from the same period last month.</p><p>Year-to-date, cumulative wholesale passenger vehicle sales in China reached 8.637 million units, a 7% decrease compared to the same period last year.</p>    <div>        <div>            <p><img width="768" height="404" src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://cnevpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026051302502087-768x404.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/2026/05/2026051302502087-768x404.jpg"/>                            </p>        </div>        <div>            <p>Automakers' share in China's NEV market in April: BYD ranks first with 21.4%, Tesla falls out of top 10</p>            <p>In the overall passenger car market, BYD ranked first in retail sales in April with a 13.2% share.</p>                    </div>    </div>                                                                                    </div>

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<p>In the first 17 days of May, China's retail sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs) fell 12% year-on-year to 400,000 units, despite a retail penetration rate of 58.9%. Year-to-date, cumulative NEV sales reached 3.158 million units, down 17% from last year. Overall passenger vehicle sales also declined by 23% year-on-year, totaling 680,000 units. However, there was an 18% increase in NEV sales compared to the previous month, indicating resilient demand post-May Day holiday.</p>

China NEV retail sales fall 12% year-on-year in first 17 days of May