China’s total vehicle sales fell 8.4% year-on-year to 2.956 million units in September 2026, following a 5.1% decline in the previous month, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM). New energy vehicle (NEV) sales increased 13.6% year-on-year to 1.823 million units in September, following a 17.8% jump in August, with NEVs accounting for 61.6% of total vehicle sales, marking the third straight month in which their share exceeded 60%. For the first nine months of the year, total vehicle sales shed 4.5% year-on-year, while NEV sales rose 11.1% to 12.47 million units. During the period, NEV sales surpassed 50% of total new vehicle sales for the third consecutive month, accounting for 53.6%. However, on a monthly basis, total vehicle sales grew 9%. Last year, China’s vehicle sales climbed 9.4% to a record high of 34.4 million units, accelerating from 4.5% growth in 2024, while NEV sales surged 28.2%.