Cui Dongshu: The average price of passenger cars in April 2026 is 171,000 yuan, an increase of 3,000 yuan compared to the same period.

Secretary-General Cui Dongshu of the China Passenger Car Association released the price trend of the passenger car market in April 2026. The main factors affecting price changes are structural changes and changes in sales volume. When sales volume grows slowly, the average price of cars in the market continues to rise. In 2021, the average retail price of passenger cars was 165,000 yuan, rising to 184,000 yuan in 2024. In 2025, the average price of passenger cars was 170,000 yuan, a decrease of 14,000 yuan compared to 2024. In April 2026, the average price of passenger cars was 171,000 yuan, an increase of 3,000 yuan compared to the same period. In 2025, the average price of luxury cars was 358,000 yuan, a decrease of 18,000 yuan compared to 2024; in April 2026, the average price was 326,000 yuan, a decrease of 35,000 yuan compared to the same period. In 2025, the average price of joint venture brands was 172,000 yuan, a decrease of 7,000 yuan compared to 2024; in April 2026, the average price was 173,000 yuan, almost unchanged from the same period. In 2025, the average price of new energy vehicles was 241,000 yuan, a decrease of 40,000 yuan compared to 2024; in April 2026, the average price was 223,000 yuan, an increase of 14,000 yuan compared to the same period. In 2025, the average price of domestic brands was 122,000 yuan, a decrease of 12,000 yuan compared to the same period; in April 2026, the average price of domestic brands was 125,000 yuan, an increase of 7,000 yuan compared to the same period. The prices of conventional fuel vehicles continue to rise, with a noticeable shrinkage in the mid-to-low-end market and a slower shrinkage in the high end. As a result, the average price rose from 166,000 yuan in 2021 to 188,000 yuan in 2024. In 2025, with the rapid shrinkage of high-end fuel vehicles, the average price dropped to 182,000 yuan, and in April 2026, the average price was 181,000 yuan, stabilizing the purchasing power of fuel vehicle buyers. The average price of new energy vehicles has gradually decreased recently, from 184,000 yuan in 2023 to 180,000 yuan in 2024, and 160,000 yuan in 2025. The price dropped significantly. In April 2026, the price was 165,000 yuan, an increase of 8,000 yuan, reflecting a structural change in the consumption of new energy vehicles. The popularization of cars in China is only 254 cars per 1,000 people, and the popularization of car consumption is the most important trend in the future. The continuous decrease in car prices due to low cost of electrification is a trend. With the withdrawal of the car purchase tax exemption policy, and the upgrade of the tax exemption technical indicators for new energy vehicles, some short-range and high consumption electric vehicle models are facing pressure to be redesigned. The sharp decline in sales of A00-grade electric vehicles in April resulted in an increase in the average price, and there was significant pressure on the growth of sales in 2026. 1. The price of passenger cars has risen sharply The main factors affecting price changes are structural changes and changes in sales volume. When sales volume grows slowly, the average price of cars in the market continues to rise. In 2021, the average retail price of passenger cars was 165,000 yuan, rising to 184,000 yuan in 2024. In 2025, the average price of passenger cars was 170,000 yuan, a decrease of 14,000 yuan compared to 2024. In April 2026, the average price of passenger cars was 171,000 yuan, an increase of 3,000 yuan compared to the same period. The prices of conventional fuel vehicles continue to rise, with a noticeable shrinkage in the mid-to-low-end market and a slower shrinkage in the high end. As a result, the average price rose from 166,000 yuan in 2021 to 188,000 yuan in 2024. In 2025, with the rapid shrinkage of high-end fuel vehicles, the average price dropped to 182,000 yuan, and in April 2026, the average price was 181,000 yuan, stabilizing the purchasing power of fuel vehicle buyers. The average price of new energy vehicles has gradually decreased recently, from 184,000 yuan in 2023 to 180,000 yuan in 2024, and 160,000 yuan in 2025. The price dropped significantly. In April 2026, the price was 165,000 yuan, an increase of 8,000 yuan, reflecting a structural change in the consumption of new energy vehicles. From 2024 to 2025, driven by the policies promoting scrappage renewal and trade-in subsidies, sales of mid-to-low-end vehicles have significantly increased, resulting in a decrease in average prices and a revival of the market. Due to the relatively lagging popularity of private cars in China, the decrease in average prices promotes the all-around development of the market, facilitating the popularization and scale expansion of the car market. The highest average price category in the car market is for extended-range and hybrid vehicles, while the lowest is for pure electric vehicles. The structural reason for the decline in average prices in 2025 is the increase in the proportion of entry-level pure electric vehicles, and the decrease in the proportion of higher-priced hybrid and extended-range vehicles, driving structural changes. In April 2026, the growth rate of new energy vehicles slowed down, with a significant increase in prices for plug-in hybrids and pure electric vehicles due to the shrinkage of the low end, resulting in an average price of 171,000 yuan in April, a relative increase of 3,000 yuan. Given the relatively low popularity of the car market in China, the decrease in average prices of cars reflects an increase in purchases by mid-to-low-end consumers, which should be seen as a positive trend. The retail decline in April 2026, with a greater decline in the low end, leading to an increase in average prices, indicates significant market pressure. 2. The decline in the low end of the passenger car market price segment structure According to data from the China Passenger Car Association, in recent years, the price segment structure of the national retail market has been on the rise, with a significant increase in sales of high-end new energy car models and a decrease in sales of mid-to-low-priced models. In 2025, with the promotion of scrappage renewal policies, the mid-to-low-end market of the car market has revived, and consumption at mid-to-low price points has rebounded. In 2026, with the policy of high-quality development, there has been a drastic downturn, with a 45% decrease in sales of cars priced below 50,000 yuan, which is more severe. The breakthrough in the high-end development of independent brands reflects a significant trend in the high-end development brought about by the growth of new energy passenger cars, but this breakthrough is based on the stability of the low end. The trend of decline in the entry-level new energy vehicles is severe. The high-end development reflects the weakness of ordinary consumer consumption, emphasizing the fundamental importance of mass consumer consumption. Although high-end consumption is strong, it actually reflects the overall weakness of the car market. 3. Sales structure of passenger car levels In recent months, the penetration rate of new energy vehicles is highest in small cars, with a penetration rate of 100% in micro-cars in April, reaching 79% in A0-class small cars, and a fast recovery in penetration rate for A-class new energy vehicles, reaching 49%. The penetration rate of new energy vehicles in B-class cars continues to increase, with improved performance in extended-range vehicles. The penetration rate of new energy vehicles in C-class cars has significantly increased, reflecting the clear advantages of high-end electrification. 4. Structure of new energy vehicle lines for passenger cars Pure electric new energy vehicles have continued to see high growth in domestic retail sales, with exceptional performance in plug-in hybrids in recent years, and continued modest growth in extended-range vehicles. There is sustained downward pressure on sales of traditional passenger cars. In 2026, new energy vehicles accounted for a strong proportion of 49%, with the penetration rate of new energy vehicles reaching 61% in April 2026, with a significant increase in contributions from new energy vehicles driven by high fuel prices. 5. Sales structure of internal dynamics in various price segments in April 2026 The distribution of power in the market segments in terms of pricing is relatively uneven. Pure electric vehicles perform the weakest in the market below 100,000 yuan, while extended-range electric vehicles perform strongest in the high-end market, and hybrid vehicles have a slightly higher share in the 150,000-400,000 yuan market segment, with relatively strong performance in the 100,000-200,000 yuan market segment. Traditional fuel vehicles perform relatively strongly in the 50,000-200,000 yuan segment, and also show strong performance in the market above 300,000 yuan, showing a differentiated distribution feature. The distribution of hybrid vehicles is relatively narrow, mainly in the mid-to-high price range. Plug-in hybrids are dominated by mainstream models, with excellent performance in the 100,000-200,000 yuan segment. The sharp decline in the low-end market at the beginning of the year is also a contraction in consumption, with a slowdown in growth at the low end. 6. Changes in market average prices for various brands In 2025, the average price of luxury cars was 358,000 yuan, a decrease of 18,000 yuan compared to 2024; in April 2026, the average price was 326,000 yuan, a decrease of 35,000 yuan compared to the same period. In 2025, the average price of joint venture brands was 172,000 yuan, a decrease of 7,000 yuan compared to 2024; in April 2026, the average price was 173,000 yuan, almost unchanged from the same period. In 2025, the average price of new energy vehicles was 241,000 yuan, a decrease of 40,000 yuan compared to 2024; in April 2026, the average price was 223,000 yuan, an increase of 14,000 yuan compared to the same period. In 2025, the average price of domestic brands was 122,000 yuan, a decrease of 12,000 yuan compared to the same period; in April 2026, the average price of domestic brands was 125,000 yuan, an increase of 7,000 yuan compared to the same period. Independent brand new energy vehicles are making a comprehensive effort, with significant pressure on pure electric and narrow plug-in hybrids, but strong performance in hybrid vehicles. Overall, the competitiveness of high-end new energy vehicles has improved, with significant fluctuations in the structure of new energy brands, clear weakness in the pure electric market, with the average price of independent fuel vehicles in April 2026 being 109,000 yuan, a decrease of 2,000 yuan compared to the same period.