China Marks 6.9 Million Nevs Sold Over 2022

Total sales of New Energy Vehicles in 2022 amounted to 6.887 million units. This is according to statistics from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) and represents an increase of 93.4 per cent compared to 2021.

The statistics distinguish by type of drive: among the electric vehicles sold were 5.365 million battery electric vehicles (+81.6 per cent), 1.518 million plug-in hybrids (+151.6 per cent) and 3,000 fuel cell vehicles (+112.8 per cent). In total, sales of these examples accounted for a quarter (25.6 per cent) of all vehicle sales in China. The overall Chinese vehicle market grew by 2.1 per cent. Important to know: The CAAM figures include commercial vehicle sales in addition to passenger cars.

Exports from China in 2022 totalled 679,000 NEVs, just under 10 per cent of the electric vehicles manufactured and sold in the country. According to the CAAM, exports thus reached an increase of 120 per cent compared to 2021.

Among manufacturers, BYD is the undisputed leader. The group sold 1,863,494 NEVs last year (including 1,857,379 passenger cars), which is +208.64 per cent more than in 2021. At the time, BYD recorded almost 600,000 NEV sales. In terms of car powertrains, BEVs and PHEVs balanced each other out in 2022: BYD sold 911,140 battery-electric and 946,239 plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Tesla also improved strongly year-on-year. In 2022, the US-based company sold 710,865 BEVs built in Shanghai – 439,770 stayed domestically and 271,095 were exported. In the previous year, total sales of vehicles produced in China were 473,078. The relative increase from 2021 to 2022 is thus 67 per cent.

GAC Aion is establishing itself as the third-largest electric vehicle manufacturer with 271,156 BEVs sold last year. This represents an increase of 126 per cent for the manufacturer, according to CAAM. Other OEMs followed are Volkswagen Group with its China production (155,700 BEVs), domestic manufacturers Neta (152,073 BEVs), Nio (122,486 BEVs), Xpeng (120,757 BEVs), Leapmotor (111,168 BEVs) and Zeekr (71,941 BEVs), as well as BMW (41,886 BEVs) and Smart #1 (9,212).

The large increase at Neta (from 69,674 to 152,073 BEVs) and Leapmotor (from 43,121 to 111,168 BEVs) is noteworthy, while the sales increase at Nio and Xpeng is rather moderate. The Geely brand Zeekr, which has only been delivering since October 2021, makes it to eighth position from a standing start.

Volkswagen and BMW are interesting from a European perspective. While the Volkswagen Group sold 70,625 NEVs manufactured in China in 2021, it sold 155,700 units last year. “China made the largest contribution to the group’s global BEV growth with its increase in deliveries,” the Wolfsburg-based company says. BMW improved its delivery result in parallel by 92 per cent to said 41,886 BEVs.