For the first time ever, electric vehicle (EV) sales growth is
surpassing internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle sales growth in
China. After ICE vehicle sales grew by 3 million in 2016, sales of
ICE vehicles grew by 600,000 in 2017 and just 50,000 in 2018. At
the same time, EV sales and production skyrocketed. According to
the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, EV sales grew 81
percent year on year in the first nine months of 2018. Over the
same time period production rose to 734,600 units, putting China on pace to sell over 1,000,000 EVs in 2018.
With total vehicle sales just over 29 million, EVs have captured a
significant portion of the market and are trending upwards. This
development indicates that ICE vehicle sales growth in China may
have peaked and China may have reached a tipping point in EV
sales.