Joint-Venture Automakers in China Stall Collectively in 2025, Market Share Drops Below 30%

At the start of 2025, China's auto market has undergone dramatic shifts. Domestic brands have surged strongly, with new energy vehicles (NEVs) accounting for over 50% of total sales nationwide and domestic brands capturing more than 70% of the market share. In contrast, joint-venture brands are under severe pressure across the board: Changan Ford sold only 112,600 vehicles in China from January to November, suffering declines in both revenue and profit; Changan Mazda, Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroën (Shenlong Automobile), Honda China, and others have similarly underperformed. Joint ventures have lagged significantly in their transition to new energy vehicles, heavily relying on "fuel-to-electric" converted models that suffer from short driving ranges, insufficient intelligence features, and high costs—trapping them in a dilemma where price cuts immediately lead to losses. Their traditional competitive advantages have rapidly eroded in the era of electric and intelligent vehicles, while domestic NEV startups continue gaining popularity through superior user ecosystems and advanced tech features. Currently, joint-venture passenger vehicles hold only around 30% of China’s market share. Without accelerated strategic adjustments, they risk being squeezed out of the Chinese market entirely.