Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Auto Sales Rebalanced In 2025 As China’s December Slump Contrasted With Overseas Shifts

Fresh data show policy changes and model transitions redirected demand unevenly across key regions.

Overview

  • China’s passenger-vehicle retail sales fell over 14% year over year in December 2025 to 2.261 million units, even as full-year retail rose 3.9% and NEV sales climbed 17.6%, with trade-in subsidies set to continue in 2026.
  • Tesla’s China retail sales declined about 4.8% in 2025 to 625,698 units, but the company posted a record 93,843 domestic deliveries in December, according to CPCA figures.
  • Volkswagen Group’s global BEV deliveries rose 32% in 2025 to 983,100, while its BEV sales in China fell by more than 44% and total sales there dropped 8%.
  • Australia’s market mix shifted as passenger-car sales sank 22.6% in 2025 to 157,484 (13% share), while vehicles imported from China exceeded 220,000 deliveries as Chinese brands gained ground.
  • In the U.S., 2025 new light-vehicle sales reached about 16.3 million, with BEV sales estimated to have declined 2.1% to 1.27 million following changes to the federal tax credit.