China’s electric vehicle exports surge 99.9 % in October, total shipments reach 666,000
China’s automobile exports continued to grow in October 2025, driven by strong demand for new-energy vehicles (NEVs). Data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) show that total vehicle exports in October reached 666,000 units, up 2.1% from September and 22.9% compared with October 2024. The export sector has now recorded three consecutive months with sales exceeding 600,000 units, reported by IT-home.
Passenger vehicles accounted for the bulk of exports, with 571,000 units shipped in October, representing a 2.1 % month-on-month increase and a 22.8 % year-on-year rise. Commercial vehicle exports, including trucks and buses, reached 94,000 units, up 1.8 % from September and up 23.5 % from a year earlier.
A significant driver of export growth was China’s NEV sector. NEV exports totalled 256,000 units last month, a 15.4% increase from September and nearly double the October 2024 figure, representing a 99.9% year-on-year increase. From January to October 2025, cumulative NEV exports reached 2,014,000 units, representing a 90.4% increase from the same period in 2024. By contrast, exports of traditional internal combustion vehicles declined, with October shipments at 409,000 units, down 4.8% month-on-month and 0.9% year-on-year. Over the first ten months, conventional vehicle exports totalled 3,601,000 units, down 5.1 % from 2024.
The figures indicate that NEVs are increasingly becoming the main engine of China’s automotive export growth, reflecting both rising overseas demand for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, as well as the expansion of China’s domestic production capacity. Analysts note that NEV exports have now surpassed conventional vehicles in growth rate and are a key factor in maintaining the country’s overall auto-export expansion.
In addition to export growth, domestic production of NEVs has remained strong, with NEV sales in October exceeding 50 % of the total domestic market. The combination of robust domestic production and rising international demand has helped China maintain its position as a leading global exporter of electrified vehicles.
Editor’s comments:
Overall, China’s October 2025 auto-export data underscore a clear shift in the country’s automotive trade profile: a rapid expansion of new-energy vehicle exports alongside declining shipments of traditional fuel vehicles, highlighting the accelerating global footprint of China’s electric vehicle industry.
