China's July car sales drop 20% as exports surge 88%
Auto
China's car market hit a rough patch in July 2026, with domestic sales dropping for the 10th straight month, down 20% from last year to 1.47 million cars.
While local buyers held back due to weak demand and price competition, Chinese automakers found success abroad, exporting 923,000 vehicles, a huge 88% jump.
Chinese EVs hit 16% European share
Driven by global demand for affordable electric vehicles (EVs), brands like BYD and Geely are rapidly expanding outside China.
Their advanced EV tech and competitive supply chains helped them grab a big slice of the European market, now at 16%, up from just 3% four years ago.
In fact, China has overtaken Japan as the world's top vehicle exporter, putting extra pressure on Japanese rivals to keep up.