The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) has shared its new energy vehicle (NEV) sales numbers for October, showcasing that EV adoption is at an all-time high, surpassing September 2024, which was the previous record.

While EV adoption has made great strides in the US and Europe, China has been and remains the absolute leader in the segment. Government incentives surrounding NEVs as well as some of the most exciting and advanced EV technology have helped propel sales in China year after year.

While the Chinese vehicle market is quite saturated with this influx of all-electric and plug-in hybrid models, many brands have found great success. Furthermore, when paired with the incentives to both OEMs and consumers overseas, Chinese EVs are easily the most affordable in the world.

Local OEMs continue to bolster production and introduce tons of new models while consumers continue to flock to sustainable mobility technology. As a result recent sales data from China shows that adoption is at an all-time high and trending upward.

EV sales in China topped 1.43 million units in October

As reported by CnEVPost, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) shared its October sales data for NEVs – a category that includes battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid EVs (PHEVs), and fuel cell EVs (FCEVs).

That sales total, which includes exports outside of China (524,000 units in October 2024), reached 1.43 million units last month – an all-time record for the country. That October total builds off a previous record in September when Chinese OEMs sold 1,287,000 vehicles – an 11.1% increase.

Aside from topping the previous month’s record, China’s October total for EV sales shows tremendous year-over-year growth, up 49.6% since the same point in 2023. Of that 2024 total, PHEV sales contributed 587,000 units sold, continuing record numbers for a sixth consecutive month. PHEV sales are up 89.7% compared to a year ago.

Battery EV sales in China (842,000 units in October 2024) are growing slower but still trending upward. That total is up 30.4% YoY and 8.7% from September 2024. As a part of the overall vehicle sales in China last month, which was 3.05 million units, NEV penetration was 46.8%, up from 45.8% in September 2024 and up from 33.5% in October 2023.

These EV sales are a potential glimpse into the global future as China has remained years ahead of other markets in embracing the technology. Having done the development early, the country’s ability to deliver affordable quality EVs has caused sales to skyrocket.

Who knew that would be the key to success?