China April Auto Sales Drop as War Hits Demand for Gasoline Cars

China’s car sales fell 21.5% in April after deliveries of gasoline vehicles plunged due to the Iran oil shock, and electric car demand wasn’t strong enough to counter the slump.

Sales of passenger vehicles declined to 1.4 million, the lowest figure for April since 2022, during Covid lockdowns. Deliveries of internal combustion engine cars dropped by a third, and new energy vehicles, which includes EVs and plug-in hybrids, fell 6.8%, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association.