Data on domestic natural gas heavy truck sales for May shows a significant drop.

Figures for May indicate that domestic natural gas heavy trucks sold 13,900 units. This represents a sharp 55% decrease from April and a slight 0.3% decline year-on-year.

After reaching a historically high monthly sale of 32,000 units in March, the second-highest figure on record, sales have now declined for two consecutive months. The May sales volume has fallen below last year's monthly average of 16,600 units. The cooling of the market in May, compared to the peak sales in March and April, is notably steep.

The primary reason for this downturn is attributed to the rapid increase in natural gas prices. Influenced by the Middle East situation, domestic gas prices began rising in March. The average factory gate price for LNG exceeded 5,300 yuan per ton in April and soared past 6,000 yuan per ton by month-end, remaining above that level throughout May.

From late April, vehicle LNG refueling prices in many northern regions rose to between 6.3 and 6.6 yuan per kilogram. With diesel prices at many private stations in the north being under 7 yuan per liter, the price differential between gas and oil in May was minimal, sometimes even inverted. Consequently, price-sensitive potential buyers are either adopting a wait-and-see approach or considering a switch to new energy heavy trucks.

In May, the overall heavy truck market sold 75,400 units, an 18% year-on-year decrease. The natural gas segment's minor 0.3% decline means it continues to outperform the broader heavy truck market.

Natural gas trucks accounted for only 18.46% of total heavy truck sales in May, down from 33.11% in April. From January to May, their cumulative share stands at 30.27%, which is 5.44 percentage points higher than the full-year 2025 share of 24.83%.

Cumulative sales for the first five months of the year reached 96,100 units, a 23% increase year-on-year. However, this growth rate has narrowed by 5 percentage points compared to the 28% increase recorded after April. Sales are approximately 18,100 units higher than the same period last year.

Regional Distribution and Vehicle Type

Sales remain highly concentrated geographically. The top five provinces—Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi, Henan, and Xinjiang—each sold over 7,000 units, collectively accounting for nearly half (47.9%) of the national total.

In terms of vehicle type, tractor trucks dominated, making up 97.31% of the 96,100 natural gas heavy trucks sold from January to May. The share of specialized vehicles and dump trucks increased slightly, while the share of cargo trucks decreased.

May Manufacturer Performance

Only nine manufacturers recorded sales in May, with five exceeding 1,000 units. Sinotruk sold 3,535 units, ranking first for the month and claiming the monthly sales champion title for the first time this year. FAW Jiefang followed closely with 3,375 units. Foton, Dongfeng, and Shaanxi Automobile Group sold 2,495, 2,370, and 1,738 units respectively, ranking third to fifth.

Year-on-year, Sinotruk, Foton, and BAIC Heavy-Duty Truck achieved growth of 19%, 31%, and 35% respectively, bucking the overall market trend. The top five manufacturers held a combined 97.1% market share in May.

Year-to-Date Manufacturer Rankings

From January to May, FAW Jiefang and Sinotruk both sold over 20,000 units. Foton moved into the top three. BAIC Heavy-Duty Truck and XCMG also saw significant cumulative sales growth of 70% and 50% year-on-year, respectively.

The combined market share of the top five manufacturers for the period reached 97.0%. FAW Jiefang led with a 30.7% share, followed by Sinotruk at 23.5%. Foton, Dongfeng, and Shaanxi Automobile Group held shares of 15.3%, 15.2%, and 12.3%, respectively.

Compared to the same period in 2025, four manufacturers gained market share, with Sinotruk and Foton showing the most significant gains.

Market Outlook

While May sales experienced a significant expected drop, cumulative sales for the first five months remain on an upward trajectory with 23% growth. The key questions for the market are whether high gas prices will continue to dampen sales and if the full-year sales record is still within reach.