China's automobiles steadily into overseas markets this year, automobile exports to maintain the momentum of growth. China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) released the latest data showing that from January to April this year, a total of 1,937,000 automobiles were exported, a year-on-year increase of 6%. Grasping the development opportunities, Chinese automobile enterprises are laying out R&D centres and building factories with a global vision, taking root in overseas markets with ‘technology export + localized production’, and opening a new chapter to build a localized industrial chain ecology. Scene of the meeting
Competitiveness is increasing day by day.
In 2021, China's annual export volume finally broke the deadlock of hovering at 1 million units for many years and exceeded the 2 million unit mark. With this achievement, China successfully surpassed South Korea and ranked third in the global automobile exporters, only behind Japan and Germany. 2022, China's annual vehicle exports climbed to 3.11 million units, surpassing Germany and becoming the world's second-largest automobile exporter. 2023, the export volume reached 4.91 million units, and for the first time, it was on the top of the list of global automobile exporters. 2024, the export volume of complete vehicles reached 641 million units, a year-on-year increase of 23%. In 2024, vehicle exports will reach 6.41 million units, up 23 per cent year-on-year.
Behind the consecutive years of leaping growth in export volume is the rise of the automotive industry. The just-concluded Auto Shanghai 2025 has become the premiere place for new global automotive products and technology debut, and has demonstrated the vigorous vitality of China's automotive industry under the wave of transformation and upgrading and the powerful kinetic energy of pulling market consumption. Data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) shows that from January to April this year, the sales share of Chinese brand passenger cars reached 68.7%, up 8.1 percentage points from the same period last year. Among them, the sales share of Chinese brand passenger cars reached 70.7% in April, up 7.1 percentage points from the same period last year.
The growth in export volume also reflects the growing competitiveness of China's auto brands in the international market. As one of the earliest explorers of automobiles going overseas, Chery Automobile opened the first batch export of Chinese cars in 2001, and by April this year, Chery's products have been exported to more than 110 countries, harvesting more than 16.5 million global users.
BYD's new energy vehicles have also achieved remarkable results, and have successfully entered more than 110 countries and regions. 2024, BYD's passenger car sales in overseas markets exceeded 410,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 72 per cent, and in the first quarter of 2025, BYD's sales of passenger cars and pickup trucks in overseas markets exceeded 200,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 110 per cent. Liu Jiaqing, deputy general manager of BYD's brand and public relations office, introduced that in the first quarter of this year, BYD has become the champion of all-market sales in Singapore and other places, as well as the champion of sales in the new energy vehicle market in some countries.
During Auto Shanghai 2025, the Association of China Automobile Manufacturers (ACAM) organised the ‘Consulates in Shanghai Entering Shanghai Auto Show’ activity, which gained a positive response. Liu Yan, deputy secretary-general of the Association of Automobile Manufacturers of China (AAMC), said that the participating guests showed great interest in Chinese brand vehicles and expressed their willingness to strengthen communication and explore ways of co-operation.
New energy vehicles have become the main force
China's auto exports ushered in a historic breakthrough, in which new energy vehicles played a pivotal role, becoming a key force in promoting the internationalisation of the auto industry. Data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) shows that in the first four months of this year, 642,000 new energy vehicles were exported, a year-on-year increase of 52.6 per cent.
Chen Shihua, deputy secretary-general of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), said that as the automobile industry moves from the growth period to the maturity period, the industry is facing a new opportunity to ‘go to sea’ and upgrade. ‘At present, China's new energy vehicles are developing rapidly in overseas markets, leading the global transition to electrification, and in the development of the auto industry from big to strong, ‘going abroad’ has become an indispensable part of the development process’.
As the earliest batch of ‘going out’ commercial vehicle enterprises, Xu Chengxin, vice president of BAIC Foton Overseas Business Department, said that BAIC Foton will further deepen the internationalisation process, realise localised operation in the mode of ‘trade + distribution’, and then achieve comprehensive internationalisation, and plan to reach 300,000 export sales by 2030, with a total sales volume of 1.5 million. In 2030, the export sales volume will reach 300,000 vehicles, of which 30% will be new energy products.
The rapid development of new energy vehicles has won unprecedented initiative for Chinese automobile enterprises, enabling Chinese automobile brands to occupy a more favourable position in global competition. Passenger car market information association secretary-general Cui Dongshu analysis, 2024, China's new energy vehicle exports of the main direction focused on Belgium, Britain and other European countries, as well as Brazil and Southeast Asian countries, these markets have a strong demand for new energy vehicles, is to promote China's new energy automobile exports continue to grow an important driving force.
‘As the scale advantage of China's new energy vehicles becomes apparent and market demand expands, more and more new energy brand products will go out of the country, and recognition overseas will continue to improve.’ Cui Dongshu said.
It is worth paying attention to, in the automobile export scale continues to break through the back of the automobile brand ‘overseas’ mode is increasingly diversified. Through the construction of international marketing system, investment and plant construction, brand acquisition, joint ventures and other ways, China's automobile continues to promote the localisation of overseas market development, accelerate the layout of international production capacity. Changan Automobile's Rayong plant in Thailand recently went into operation, opening the leap from ‘products abroad’ to ‘brands abroad’; Chery is further accelerating the pace of going out, localised manufacturing, localised R&D, localised sales, etc. in overseas.
