China's Car Exports Jump 73% in May as Electric Models Pass Half

China shipped about 809,000 passenger cars abroad in May 2026, 73% more than in May 2025, according to figures from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) reported by the Associated Press. It was a small step up on April, when exports were about 796,000.

Electric models now make up most of the total

About 435,000 of May’s exports were new energy vehicles, the Chinese term for fully electric cars and plug-in hybrids. That is more than double the number a year earlier, and more than half of all the cars China exported that month. The AP links the jump to higher petrol and diesel prices since the war in Iran, which has made buyers abroad more interested in electric models.

Weak demand at home is pushing makers abroad

The export surge comes as China’s own market shrinks. Domestic passenger car sales fell 23.4% year on year in May to 1.44 million, and sales of petrol and diesel cars were down by almost 42%. BYD alone sold more than 160,000 cars outside China in May, up 80%, and is aiming for 1.5 million overseas sales this year. UBS expects China’s passenger car exports to grow by about 40% across 2026.

What it means if you are buying from the UK

Chinese makers are concentrating on Latin America, Asia and Europe, which are also markets we ship UK vehicles to. Buyers there will see more new Chinese models, especially electric ones, on sale alongside the used and new cars exported from Britain. If you are weighing up a UK vehicle against a locally sold alternative, tell us what you are looking for and we will price the UK car and its shipping so you can compare like for like.

Source: Associated Press, “China car exports jump 73% in May as high fuel prices raise interest in EVs”, 10 June 2026.

Image: BYD Explorer No.1, BYD’s own car carrier, by Ein Dahmer, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0), resized.