In April 2026, China’s auto market will usher in a milestone of special significance.
According to April passenger car market data officially released by the Passenger Car Association, the retail penetration rate of domestic new energy passenger cars exceeded 60% for the first time in history, reaching 61.4%.
This means that for every 10 family cars sold, 6 are new energy vehicles.
This change is not driven by short-term market fluctuations or a single factor, but the result of consumers’ real choices. It marks that fuel vehicles are gradually giving up their mainstream position and new energy sources are gradually becoming the core force in the market.
The overall domestic passenger car market did not pick up significantly in April. The retail sales of narrowly defined passenger cars were 1.384 million units, a year-on-year and month-on-month decline.
From a structural point of view, the main pressure for the weakening market comes from traditional fuel vehicles. Sales of fuel vehicles were 530,000 units that month, a year-on-year decrease of 37%, and sales continued to shrink.
New energy vehicles have maintained a steady development trend.
The retail sales of new energy passenger vehicles were 849,000 units, accounting for most of the market share; wholesale sales were 1.225 million units, a year-on-year increase of 7.5%, and production and supply remained stable; export performance was particularly outstanding, reaching 406,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 111.8%, accounting for 52.7% of total passenger vehicle exports.
At the same time, independent brands rely on new energy transformation. In April, independent brands sold 970,000 vehicles, with a domestic retail share of nearly 70%. The electrification process of joint venture brands has been relatively slow, and market share continues to be squeezed. Channel inventory pressure is mainly concentrated in the field of fuel vehicles, and the turnover status of new energy vehicles is healthier.
Many people will have questions: Both electric vehicles and fuel vehicles travel on four wheels, aren’t the tires universal?
The actual situation is that the usage characteristics of electric vehicles have significantly changed the demand logic for tires.
New energy vehicles have three intuitive characteristics: first, the entire vehicle is heavier, and the curb weight of new energy vehicles of the same level is generally 20% – 30% higher than that of traditional fuel vehicles. The core increase comes from the battery pack and chassis protection structure; second, the starting power is more direct, the instantaneous torque of the motor is large, and the tire wear rate is faster; third, the user experience requirements are higher, and endurance performance, interior quietness, and driving comfort will all affect the daily use experience.
In an era dominated by fuel vehicles, tires focused more on wear resistance, practicality and high versatility.
Entering the new energy era, tires need to be upgraded in the direction of high load-bearing, low rolling resistance, high quietness, and strong grip. This is an inevitable requirement for market development.
Based on April 2026 production and sales, supporting, inventory and other data, it can be seen that the structural adjustment of the tire industry has gradually become clear.
First, new energy-specific tires have gradually become mainstream, and the share of traditional general-purpose tires has steadily shrunk.
According to data from the General Administration of Customs in April 2026, China exported 60.9 million new pneumatic rubber tires, a year-on-year increase of 6.1%; among them, semi-steel radial tires suitable for passenger cars have gradually become the main export force. This type of tires is also the core category for supporting and replacing current new energy vehicles.
As the penetration rate of domestic new energy passenger vehicles exceeds 60%, the proportion of new vehicles directly equipped with high load-bearing, low rolling resistance, and high-quiet special tires when leaving the factory continues to increase. The market space for tires adapted to traditional fuel vehicles continues to shrink.
Second, the tire replacement cycle has been shortened and the pace of industry demand has changed.
Traditional fuel vehicle tires are usually replaced every 60,000 to 80,000 kilometers. New energy vehicles, due to their heavier weight and higher intensity of use, usually need to be replaced every 30,000 to 50,000 kilometers, and the replacement frequency has increased.
New energy vehicles that have been on the road in recent years are gradually entering their first replacement cycle, which will bring sustained and stable demand to the tire industry.
Third, industry competition has shifted from low-price orientation to performance and experience orientation.
In the past, when users replaced tires, they paid more attention to price and cost; now electric vehicle users are more concerned about the impact of tires on energy consumption, quietness, and safety, and are willing to pay for more suitable products and better user experience.
The tire industry has gradually moved away from low-price involution and shifted towards comprehensive competition in technology, performance and supporting capabilities.
Judging from April market data and long-term industry trends, the development path of the tire industry is becoming increasingly clear against the backdrop of the continued increase in the penetration rate of new energy.
First, products are becoming more specialized. Low rolling resistance, quiet design, and high load-bearing structure will gradually become standard equipment. Tires for different models such as cars and SUVs will be targeted and optimized around electrification needs.
Second, the advantages of domestic supporting equipment continue to expand. In the supporting system of new energy vehicle companies, domestic tires have steadily increased their market share due to their advantages in response speed, adaptability and cost performance, and the trend of domestic substitution will continue.
Third, market resources are becoming more concentrated. The inventory of fuel vehicles is high and channel turnover pressure is high. However, new energy-adapted tires have faster turnover and more stable demand. Industry resources will be concentrated on entities that are in line with the electrification trend and have stable supporting capabilities, and the overall development will become more standardized.
The penetration rate of 61.4% is not only an industry data, but also an important symbol of the electrification transformation of the Chinese automobile market.
From the dominance of gasoline vehicles to the mainstream of new energy, it is not only the models that are used on the street that have changed, but also the operating logic of the entire automobile industry chain.
As the component closest to daily travel, tires do not have cool technical topics, but they most truly record the changes in the industry.
What new energy brings is not a short-term impact, but a long-term structural upgrade.
For the tire industry, conforming to the trend of electrification and being close to user needs is the safest development direction.
This quiet but profound change is happening!
