China’s ICE Sales Grew 13.5% While Everyone Wrote Obituaries

October 13, 2025

TLDR: China’s August 2025 internal combustion vehicle sales jumped 13.5% year-over-year to 902,000 units, representing roughly 42% of all passenger vehicle sales that month, a proportion nobody expected to grow in 2025. Chery’s “China New Fuel Vehicle” strategy delivered 600,000 Tiggo SUV sales through August, proving that modern ICE vehicles equipped with NEV-level intelligence maintain market relevance despite 58% electric vehicle penetration. China’s 13.5% ICE growth doesn’t disprove electrification. It clarifies that the future isn’t binary, it’s technologically agnostic.