Anhui Tops China in Auto Output in H1; NEV Production Sees Temporary Fluctuations

In the first half of 2026, Anhui Province produced 1.6867 million vehicles, ranking first nationwide for the third consecutive year. Of this total, 881,800 were new energy vehicles (NEVs), also the highest in the country. Zhejiang and Shanghai followed closely with 855,700 and 726,700 NEVs respectively. Although Anhui maintained its overall lead, Zhejiang briefly surpassed it in March and April to become the top NEV producer for those individual months. Anhui reclaimed the top spot in May with a production volume of 685,300 NEVs. In terms of exports, China’s total vehicle exports reached 5.096 million units, up 65.3% year-on-year. Anhui exported 1.006 million vehicles, generating export revenue of RMB 104.36 billion—both figures ranking first nationally. Chery Automobile alone exported 931,600 vehicles, accounting for 21.9% of China’s total vehicle exports, a year-on-year increase of 70.9%. NIO delivered 191,123 vehicles in the first half, up 67.4% year-on-year. Domestically, retail sales of passenger cars (narrow definition) totaled 8.701 million units in the first half, down 20.2% year-on-year. The NEV penetration rate reached 63% in June, remaining above 60% for three consecutive months. Automakers from Zhejiang performed notably well: Geely Holding Group reported total sales of 1.9348 million vehicles, including 1,100,893 NEVs. Leapmotor sold 356,500 vehicles, an increase of over 60% year-on-year. In exports, Geely shipped 472,500 vehicles abroad, surging 158.3% year-on-year, while Leapmotor’s exports reached 96,300 units, soaring 372.6% year-on-year.