Amidst a global push for cleaner transportation, China’s electric truck market is surging ahead. In 2025, the nation registered an impressive 231,100 New Energy Vehicle (NEV) trucks, marking a remarkable 182% increase compared to the previous year. This surge underscores the growing shift towards electrified work vehicles, with China leading the charge.
The momentum continued strongly into December, where nearly 45,300 heavy-duty NEVs were registered, making up 54% of new heavy-duty truck sales for the month. Compared to the same month in the prior year, this represented an astonishing 198% increase, while also showing a 62% rise from November’s figures.
Industry experts from CV World suggest that government policies have greatly influenced this growth. The phasing out of a national trade-in subsidy for commercial vehicles and anticipation of new NEV purchase taxes in 2026 may have accelerated companies’ vehicle replacement plans, utilizing the last of available incentives.
Lower Costs Drive Adoption
China’s heavy-duty electric vehicle (HDEV) sector is not only thriving due to smart policies but also because of the financial benefits these vehicles offer. According to CATL’s commercial vehicle sales director, Xia Nan, NEV trucks can save fleet operators up to 1.2 million yuan (about 165,000 USD) over a decade when compared to their diesel counterparts. More details can be found in the full report here.
Infrastructure improvements, including high-speed charging stations and battery swap networks, are also progressing, minimizing downtime and further encouraging adoption.
As the market matures, a 2025 report from the ICCT highlights that the top five manufacturers of zero-emission heavy trucks—XCMG, SANY, FAW, Shacman, and Yutong—control 61% of the HDEV market. This mirrors the dominance seen in the diesel truck market, where the leading manufacturers hold 75% of the share.
“This suggests that the market for zero-emission heavy-duty trucks has reached a similar level of maturity as the market for internal combustion engine trucks,” CV World authors concluded. “With leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) dominating an increasing share of the market.”
Emerging companies like Windrose Technology and Pony.ai are also shaping the future of heavy trucks. Windrose focuses on Class 8-equivalent over-the-road trucks, while Pony.ai is advancing convoy-style autonomy. Learn more about Windrose’s initiatives here and Pony.ai’s advancements here.
Globally, over 90,000 zero-emission semi-trucks were sold in the first half of 2025, though U.S. sales lagged with only 200 units in the same period, illustrating varied adoption rates worldwide. Read more about the U.S. market here.
SOURCES: CV World, via CNEVPost, Electrive.
Original Story at electrek.co