Gasgoo Munich- On September 10, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers released its August 2026 economic data. Production and sales came in at 2.684 million and 2.712 million units, respectively. While those figures represent a 4.3% and 4.9% increase from July, they mark a 4.7% and 5.1% decline from the same period last year.Image Source: China Association of Automobile ManufacturersChen Shihua, deputy secretary-general of the CAAM, noted that intensifying consumer subsidies and aggressive promotional campaigns across multiple regions drove the monthly rebound in August. Yet the domestic market remains under strain: monthly sales have now dropped by more than 20% year-on-year for five straight months.New energy vehicles emerged as the industry's standout performer. NEV output and sales hit 1.653 million and 1.643 million units, climbing 18.9% and 17.8% from a year earlier. Their share of new car sales reached 60.6% — another monthly record. On the export front, shipments surged 65.3% to 1.01 million units. This marks the third consecutive month exports have topped the 1 million mark, providing a critical buffer for the broader market.Cumulatively, from January through August, national production and sales reached 20.255 million and 20.315 million units, a slight dip from the previous year. NEV figures, however, showed resilience: production and sales totaled 10.668 million and 10.65 million units, both rising by more than 10%. This lifted the cumulative sales share of NEVs to 52.4%.