In the domestic automobile market last month, the proportion of eco-friendly cars exceeded 50% for the first time. According to the “May 2025 Automobile Industry Trends” report released by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, domestic automobile sales in May totaled 142,000 units, marking a 0.4% increase compared to the same period last year.
Among these, eco-friendly car sales were approximately 74,000 units, accounting for 52% of the total, surpassing the proportion of internal combustion engine cars for the first time. Electric vehicle sales increased by 60.3% compared to the same period last year, hybrid vehicle sales grew by 31.4%, and plug-in hybrid vehicle sales surged by 115.9%.
Domestic electric vehicle sales rose by 58.8%, likely due to the recent launch of various new models broadening consumer choices. Meanwhile, automobile exports in May reached $6.2 billion, exceeding $6 billion for four consecutive months.
This is the second-highest record for exports in the month of May, although it represents a 4.4% decrease compared to last year’s record-breaking figures. Eco-friendly car exports recorded their highest ever at 75,000 units, a 10.2% increase from the same period last year, primarily due to strong hybrid car exports.
However, automobile parts exports decreased by 9.4% year-on-year, influenced by U.S. tariff policies affecting the global market. U.S. car exports particularly dropped by 27.1% from the same period last year, due to tariff policies and the base effect of last year’s strong results, marking the fifth-largest decline on record.
Automobile production fell by 3.7% compared to the same month the previous year, recording 359,000 units, in line with the decrease in export volumes.
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