--- title: "China's electric trucks hit 50.3% of heavy truck sales as the overall market shrinks 21%" description: "September sales put battery trucks at half of China's heavy truck market, while the US and EU remain far behind and the price gap still shapes who buys." url: https://cars.skoop.news/electric-trucks-claim-half-of-chinas-heavy-truck-market-f03097/ published: 2026-11-03T07:30:18.397237-05:00 modified: 2026-11-03T07:30:18.397257-05:00 section: "Cars & EVs" publisher: "skoop.news" language: en keywords: ["China", "Qiyuan Green Power", "US Class", "ZET SCALE", "CATL", "ICCT", "Kpler", "tesla", "truck"] hashtags: ["#QiyuanGreenPower", "#USClass", "#ZETSCALE", "#Tesla", "#cars"] image: https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/016_Wild_Golden_Eagle_in_flight_at_Pfyn-Finges_%28Switzerland%29_Photo_by_Giles_Laurent.jpg/1280px-016_Wild_Golden_Eagle_in_flight_at_Pfyn-Finges_%28Switzerland%29_Photo_by_Giles_Laurent.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail --- # China's electric trucks hit 50.3% of heavy truck sales as the overall market shrinks 21% > September sales put battery trucks at half of China's heavy truck market, while the US and EU remain far behind and the price gap still shapes who buys. Published 2026-11-03 · Updated 2026-11-03 · Cars & EVs, [skoop.news](https://skoop.news/) ## In brief - Electric models made up 50.3% of heavy trucks sold in China in September, a result that matters to fleet buyers, diesel suppliers and truck makers alike. [[1]](https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/electric-trucks-claim-half-of-chinas-heavy-truck-market/) - In 2025, electric heavy truck sales nearly tripled to 231,100 units, up 182%, for a 28.9% share. [[2]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/02/electric-trucks-50-percent-china-heavy-truck-sales-diesel-demand/) - Kpler expects Chinese diesel demand to fall by about 230,000 barrels per day in 2026, or around 10%. [[1]](https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/electric-trucks-claim-half-of-chinas-heavy-truck-market/) ## A majority in a shrinking market Electric models made up 50.3% of heavy trucks sold in China in September, a result that matters to fleet buyers, diesel suppliers and truck makers alike. [[1]](https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/electric-trucks-claim-half-of-chinas-heavy-truck-market/) Electric heavy truck sales rose 37% year-on-year to 33,100 units, while the overall heavy truck market shrank by 21%. [[1]](https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/electric-trucks-claim-half-of-chinas-heavy-truck-market/) The share has swung before. It briefly hit 53.9% in December 2025 before falling back to around 23% by March, as buyers had rushed to beat expiring incentives. [[1]](https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/electric-trucks-claim-half-of-chinas-heavy-truck-market/) ## The year in numbers In 2025, electric heavy truck sales nearly tripled to 231,100 units, up 182%, for a 28.9% share. [[2]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/02/electric-trucks-50-percent-china-heavy-truck-sales-diesel-demand/) Through the first nine months of 2026, China sold 226,400 electric heavy trucks, up 64%, for a 38.1% share. [[2]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/02/electric-trucks-50-percent-china-heavy-truck-sales-diesel-demand/) Kpler tracked the monthly swing in registrations. LNG's share of heavy-duty registrations fell from 37% in March to 11% in July, while electric's share rose from 23% to 47%. [[1]](https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/electric-trucks-claim-half-of-chinas-heavy-truck-market/) ## What it does to diesel Kpler expects Chinese diesel demand to fall by about 230,000 barrels per day in 2026, or around 10%. [[1]](https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/electric-trucks-claim-half-of-chinas-heavy-truck-market/) LNG and electric trucks together are displacing around 680,000 barrels per day of diesel. [[1]](https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/electric-trucks-claim-half-of-chinas-heavy-truck-market/) Fleet size limits the effect for now, because electric trucks will only make up about 8% of China's heavy truck fleet by year end. [[1]](https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/electric-trucks-claim-half-of-chinas-heavy-truck-market/) The fuel price spike in spring 2026, tied to the Iran war, cut diesel demand on its own and pushed more fleets toward electric. [[2]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/02/electric-trucks-50-percent-china-heavy-truck-sales-diesel-demand/) According to the article behind these figures, that explains only part of the shift. [[2]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/02/electric-trucks-50-percent-china-heavy-truck-sales-diesel-demand/) ## Price gap and running costs An electric heavy truck in China can cost CN¥450,000 (US$64,000) more than a diesel equivalent. [[1]](https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/electric-trucks-claim-half-of-chinas-heavy-truck-market/) Trade-in subsidies of up to CN¥140,000 (US$20,000) help close the gap, and some cities add their own. [[1]](https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/electric-trucks-claim-half-of-chinas-heavy-truck-market/) Running costs are lower for electric. CATL claims savings of about 0.6 yuan per km for electric trucks. [[2]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/02/electric-trucks-50-percent-china-heavy-truck-sales-diesel-demand/) A study by the ICCT and China's CATARC found battery-electric trucks about 19% cheaper per tonne-km than diesel in good conditions. [[2]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/02/electric-trucks-50-percent-china-heavy-truck-sales-diesel-demand/) ## CATL's swap network and targets CATL plans to run 900 heavy truck swap stations by the end of 2026 and 2,000 in 2027. [[1]](https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/electric-trucks-claim-half-of-chinas-heavy-truck-market/) Its standardised battery packs can be exchanged in about five minutes. [[1]](https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/electric-trucks-claim-half-of-chinas-heavy-truck-market/) In August, CATL agreed to buy nearly a quarter of Qiyuan Green Power, the country's largest swap operator. [[1]](https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/electric-trucks-claim-half-of-chinas-heavy-truck-market/) In June, China's government set a target of 40% new-energy heavy truck sales by 2030, alongside 1.6 million such trucks on the road. [[1]](https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/electric-trucks-claim-half-of-chinas-heavy-truck-market/) CATL expects new-energy vehicles to account for half of China's annual truck sales by 2028. [[1]](https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/electric-trucks-claim-half-of-chinas-heavy-truck-market/) ## Far behind in the US and Europe Electric models hold less than 1% of US Class 8 sales and just 2.5% of EU heavy truck registrations. [[1]](https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/electric-trucks-claim-half-of-chinas-heavy-truck-market/) Switzerland, Norway, the Netherlands and Sweden have all recently surpassed 10% electric share in Europe. [[1]](https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/electric-trucks-claim-half-of-chinas-heavy-truck-market/) In the US, an electric Class 8 tractor costs 2.4 times as much as a diesel model. [[1]](https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/electric-trucks-claim-half-of-chinas-heavy-truck-market/) The ICCT puts the median electric Class 8 tractor at $411,200, against $172,500 for diesel. [[2]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/02/electric-trucks-50-percent-china-heavy-truck-sales-diesel-demand/) Federal tax credits for electrified commercial vehicles ended in 2025. [[1]](https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/electric-trucks-claim-half-of-chinas-heavy-truck-market/) California has shelved its zero-emission fleet rule following Trump administration pressure. [[1]](https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/electric-trucks-claim-half-of-chinas-heavy-truck-market/) Tesla received a recent order for 2,500 Semis through ZET SCALE in the US. [[2]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/02/electric-trucks-50-percent-china-heavy-truck-sales-diesel-demand/) ## What this means for you If you buy or run heavy trucks in China, the price gap is the first number to check: an electric truck can cost CN¥450,000 more than a diesel one. [[1]](https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/electric-trucks-claim-half-of-chinas-heavy-truck-market/) Trade-in subsidies of up to CN¥140,000 and any city top-ups reduce it. [[1]](https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/electric-trucks-claim-half-of-chinas-heavy-truck-market/) Then compare running costs. CATL claims savings of about 0.6 yuan per km, and the ICCT and CATARC study found electric trucks about 19% cheaper per tonne-km in good conditions. [[2]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/02/electric-trucks-50-percent-china-heavy-truck-sales-diesel-demand/) If you watch the diesel market, Kpler's forecast of a roughly 10% fall in Chinese demand in 2026 is a figure to follow. [[1]](https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/electric-trucks-claim-half-of-chinas-heavy-truck-market/) The electric share has also reversed before, from 53.9% in December to around 23% by March. [[1]](https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/electric-trucks-claim-half-of-chinas-heavy-truck-market/) ## Sources 1. [Electric trucks claim half of China’s heavy truck market](https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/electric-trucks-claim-half-of-chinas-heavy-truck-market/) — Automotive World 2. [Electric trucks hit 50% of China’s heavy truck sales, diesel demand falls](https://electrek.co/2026/11/02/electric-trucks-50-percent-china-heavy-truck-sales-diesel-demand/) — Electrek Image: Photo: Giles Laurent / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:016_Wild_Golden_Eagle_in_flight_at_Pfyn-Finges_(Switzerland)_Photo_by_Giles_Laurent.jpg) --- Written from the sources above and checked twice (rules and an independent model) before publishing. 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