NEVs become important driver for China's auto export growth

New energy vehicles (NEVs) have become the primary engine driving China's rapidly rising automobile exports, according to the latest industry data released recently by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).

In the first two months of 2026, China exported 1.35 million vehicles, up 48.4 percent year on year, data showed.

NEVs stood out as the core contributor. The exports of NEVs totaled 583,000 units from January to February, surging 110 percent from a year earlier and accounting for more than 40 percent of China's total auto exports.

Chinese automaker Geely stated that it has seen a surge in its NEV output from January to February and its manufacturing facilities in Ningbo City, east China's Zhejiang Province, are currently ramping up output of NEVs for export to international markets, including Kyrgyzstan.

"In the first two months of 2026, Geely's cumulative NEV sales reached 242,000 units, maintaining positive growth for two consecutive months. The single-month sales of NEVs in February were 117,000 units, with a year-on-year growth of 19 percent, and the NEVs' penetration rate reached 57 percent," said Li Yuxi, director of international business of Geely Auto. Li also stressed that new energy products have injected fresh momentum into the company's globalization strategy and have emerged as the leading driver of industry growth.

"In 2026, we will launch over 10 new NEV models. We will fully implement Full-Domain AI 2.0, and also establish the entire logistics network and overseas knock-down assembly capacity," he continued.

According to Ningbo Customs, the city recorded NEV exports worth 6.82 billion yuan (around 990.29 million U.S. dollars) in the first two months of this year, up 312.6 percent year on year.

"In January and February, Zhejiang Province exported 98,000 units of NEVs, a year-on-year increase of 98.4 percent. The export markets covered 125 countries and regions around the world. NEVs exported from Ningbo were worth 6.82 billion yuan, with a year-on-year increase of more than three times," Zheng Linlin, deputy director of the tariff department at Ningbo Customs, explained.

NEVs become important driver for China's auto export growth

An adorable giant panda cub has been seen enjoying a bowl of milk and later cosily lying on a wooden platform after getting a little muddy during messy playtime in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The playful panda, with its hair all wet and frizzy and covered in mud after presumably rolling around in its enclosure, is seen happily slurping on a bowl of milk provided by a panda keeper.

Later, the mischievous cub appears to be a little tired out from its exuberant activities, and is seen curled up having a rest on its wooden climbing frame.

Shared by the iPanda channel, this charming look into the life of panda cubs at the Wolong Shenshuping Base of China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas (CCRCGP) was filmed on February 28.

The adorable cub is one of a pigeon pair of cubs -- born in August 2025 at the CCRCGP -- to the giant panda Jia Mei.

The CCRCGP is a world-leading institution dedicated to the breeding and conservation of the giant panda. The center has established the world's largest captive population of giant pandas and pioneered research on captive breeding and training for rewilding.

The center also holds the largest global platform for promoting international cooperation and exchanges on Panda conservation, involving 18 zoos from 16 countries and regions, 39 domestic animal breeding institutions, and over 10 scientific research institutes.

Panda cub enjoys bowl of milk, afternoon snooze at conservation base