In May 2026, Russia and five Central Asian countries intensively updated import/export bans covering EAC certification, lithium battery transit, and RoHS standards. Russia extended economic measures against "unfriendly countries" to end of 2027, completely banned gasoline exports, and strengthened label inspections.
In May 2026, China's new energy passenger vehicle wholesale reached 1.36 million units, up 24.7% YoY and 10.2% MoM. PHEV models led the growth, with market penetration exceeding 52%. For Central Asian and Russian buyers, this signals abundant supply and diverse export model choices.
In April 2026, Chery exported 177,600 vehicles setting a new monthly record, while BYD overseas sales exceeded 130,000 units for the first time with 70.9% year-over-year growth. Both brands target 1.5 million overseas sales in 2026.
April 2026 marked a historic turning point for China's NEV pickup market. NEV pickup sales reached 3,895 units, exceeding 16% of total pickup sales and surpassing gasoline pickups for the first time. This signals the shift from marginal category to mainstream market, offering new electrified options for overseas pickup buyers in Central Asia and Russia.
April 2026 export data reveals Chery leading with 177,600 units—a new monthly record for Chinese brands. BYD crossed 130,000 overseas units for the first time, up 70.9% YoY, with 454,000+ cumulative exports in Jan-Apr. Geely surged 245% YoY. Both Chery and BYD have set 2026 export targets at 1.5 million units.
In 2026, automotive import policies across Central Asia and Russian-speaking countries saw major adjustments. Kazakhstan extended zero EV tariffs to 2027, Russia tightened EAC certification requirements, and Kyrgyzstan streamlined intra-EAEU procedures. This article compares the latest policies across four countries to inform Chinese NEV exporters and local buyers.
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology recently released a draft proposal suggesting a potential ban on fossil-fuel vehicle sales after 2035. In May 2026, China's NEV penetration rate surpassed 62.5%. Major automakers including BYD, Changan, Great Wall, and Geely have all committed to halting pure ICE vehicle sales by 2025. Gas station numbers have declined for three consecutive years, and used ICE vehicle residual value dropped from 65% to 52%.
In Jan-Apr 2026, China exported 1.384 million NEVs, up 120% YoY; total vehicle exports reached 3.127 million, up 61.5%. Chery, BYD, Geely, Changan, and Great Wall all scored significant overseas growth.
Japanese eight major automakers reported a combined 48% year-over-year decline in operating profit for FY2026, the steepest drop since the 2009 financial crisis. Meanwhile, Chinese brands' global sales share surpassed 35%, with an absolute dominance in the NEV segment. The global automotive industry's power center is accelerating its shift from traditional manufacturing giants to China—a structural transformation that carries significant implications for car buyers in Central Asia and Russia.
The Buick Zhijing E7, SAIC-GM's first medium-large SUV based on a pure-electric platform, achieved first-month deliveries exceeding 10,000 units, setting a record for the fastest 10,000-unit milestone among joint-venture NEV models. This result signals that traditional joint-venture automakers are accelerating their NEV transition, with market competition evolving from "domestic vs. joint-venture" to a direct showdown of product strength.
On May 26, 2026, Beijing conducted its new energy passenger vehicle quota allocation, with annual quotas approaching 160,000 units, of which individual quotas account for over 80%. While this policy action is a local regulation, it reflects the determination of China's first-tier cities to promote transportation energy transition. For Central Asian and Russian buyers following China's NEV policy direction, Beijing's policy choices often carry national风向标 significance.
BYD announced that its solid-state battery has passed complete vehicle-grade validation, achieving an energy density of 400Wh/kg, with small-scale mass production expected by 2027. If this technological breakthrough proceeds as planned, it will fundamentally raise the ceiling for EV range, safety, and charging speed. For buyers in cold-climate regions like Central Asia and Russia, the low-temperature performance advantages of solid-state batteries are particularly noteworthy.
Data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) shows that China's vehicle exports reached 2.226 million units in Q1 2026, a year-over-year increase of 56.7%, setting a new historical record for the same period. Russia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia are the primary growth engines, with NEV export share rising to 38%. This data confirms the leap of China's automotive export from "quantitative change" to "qualitative change," with global supply chains undergoing structural restructuring.
The April 2026 PHEV sales ranking is out. BYD Song Pro DM-i won for the fifth consecutive month with 23,890 units. Chery Tansuo 06 C-DM surged 93% YoY to 8th place; Geely Galaxy Starship 7 EM-i rose 45% MoM to 3rd place. The PHEV market is shifting from "BYD dominance" to "multi-polar competition."
On May 16, 2026, a vehicle fire occurred in BYD's Pingshan headquarters garage. BYD officially stated it was "not caused by Blade Battery" but by a short circuit in a modified vehicle's wiring. With China's NEV fleet exceeding 28 million units as of May 2026, battery safety standards are shifting from "corporate self-discipline" to "regulatory mandates."
Changan sold 207,150 vehicles in April, with NEV sales of 55,275 units (+9.38% YoY). Overseas sales reached 89,794 units, accounting for 43.3% of total volume. NEV became the only growth segment. Avatr, Deepal, and Qiyuan brands cover the full price spectrum from 200K to 600K yuan.
Kyrgyzstan's 2026 annual quota of 15,000 duty-free NEV imports is now in effect through year-end or until exhausted. The policy provides a compliant customs channel for Chinese OEMs re-exporting to Russia via the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), with BYD, Chery, and Geely as primary beneficiaries.
2026 is defined by the industry as the "semi-solid-state inaugural year." SVOLT Energy announces September mass production of multiple models with 100kWh semi-solid packs; CATL's Qilin condensed battery launches H2 2026. Gotion's "Gold Stone" all-solid-state cell reaches 350Wh/kg, targeting year-end small-batch production.
In Q1 2026, China's auto exports reached 1.26 million units, up 24.5% YoY, surpassing Japan (~1.18M) for the first time to become the world's largest auto exporter. Chery led with 390K units, followed by BYD and Geely. NEV export share rose to 34.8%, with Central Asia, Middle East, and Europe contributing over 60% of incremental volume.
The Denza N9 Flash-Charge Edition officially launched on May 19, 2026, equipped with BYD's 2nd-generation Blade Battery and megawatt-level flash-charging technology, achieving a "5-minute to ready, 9-minute to full" charging experience. The PHEV version delivers 420km pure-electric range, the longest among 400K+ yuan hybrid SUVs. As of May 18, BYD has built 6,000+ flash-charging stations nationwide.
The Jan-Apr 2026 Chinese independent OEM sales top 5 is out: BYD leads with 1.194M units, Chery rises to 2nd with 786K (boosted by exports), Changan 3rd at 732K. Geely and Great Wall round out the top 5 at 621K and 418K respectively. NEV penetration rate has become the decisive ranking variable.
Geely Automobile sold 83,186 vehicles overseas in April, up 245% year-over-year, marking the fourth consecutive month of doubling. NEV exports accounted for 58.8%, with simultaneous expansion into Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia, signaling a shift from "volume export" to "value export."
In April 2026, Yutong Bus delivered 120 NEV buses to major Kazakh cities (Almaty, Astana, Shymkent), while Yuchai-powered CNG/LNG heavy-duty trucks simultaneously entered Central Asian markets. This marks the shift of Chinese NEV commercial vehicle exports from "single-point breakthrough" to "industry chain coordinated overseas expansion," providing complete solutions for Central Asian bus electrification.
In April 2026, China's automobile exports reached 901,000 units, surging 74.4% year-over-year, providing strong support to the overall market. Chery, BYD, and SAIC ranked top three in exports, while Geely's export volume soared 210% YoY. CAAM noted that with domestic sales down 2.5%, exports have become the core growth engine for Chinese automakers.
In 2026, Chinese automakers' overseas sales targets have reached a new milestone. Chery aims for 3.2 million total units with 1.5-1.6 million overseas; BYD targets 1.3 million overseas, likely approaching 1.5 million in reality; SAIC Group's overseas target is also 1.5 million units. All three stand at the same starting line, but the decisive factors will be localized production capacity, supply chain expansion, and brand building capabilities.
Chery has completed the first Tiggo 8 Pro roll-off at its new Almaty, Kazakhstan plant, with a planned annual capacity of 100,000 units. This represents Chery's largest vehicle manufacturing base in Central Asia, marking the operational phase of Chinese OEM localization in the region.
BYD's March 2026 sales exceeded 300,000 units, with overseas exports surging 65.2% year-over-year, leading the globalization of Chinese auto brands. Central Asia, Russia, and Southeast Asia have become the three fastest-growing export markets.
In April 2025, Russia's new vehicle sales grew 15.1% year-on-year, continuing a steady recovery trend. Chinese brands now command over 50% of the market share as their operating models transition from pure CBU exports to localized KD assembly. This report analyzes the drivers behind the market recovery and offers practical advice on localization and payment settlements for exporters.
EX1000
