China exported 582,000 new-energy passenger cars in October, up 144.7% from a year earlier, according to data released Monday by the China Passenger Car Association. The total was up 3.9% from September.
Battery-electric and plug-in hybrid models made up 62.8% of all passenger car exports, up 20 percentage points in a year. Battery-electric cars accounted for 61.7% of new-energy exports, plug-in hybrids for 33.7% and extended-range models for 4.6%.
BYD led with 165,194 exported vehicles, followed by Chery at 83,843, Geely at 80,119 and Tesla’s China operations at 59,012. Leapmotor, in which Stellantis holds a stake of about 21%, exported 21,132.
Several carmakers shipped a large share of their exports as kits for assembly abroad. Kits made up 41.9% of SAIC-GM-Wuling’s exports, 31.1% of Great Wall’s, 27.6% of SAIC Passenger’s and 8% of Leapmotor’s, the association’s figures show.
The association said interference from some foreign countries had weighed on exports, but that demand for Chinese plug-in hybrids in developing countries was growing quickly, IT Home reported.
China’s EV exports jumped 145% in October
BYD shipped almost twice as many new-energy cars abroad as its nearest rival, and several makers sent a large share overseas as kits for local assembly.
Who shipped the cars
New-energy passenger car exports by maker, October 2026, in units.
Kits for assembly abroad
Share of each maker’s October exports shipped as knock-down kits.
Leapmotor stake: Automotive World
Source: China Passenger Car Association via IT Home
