Chinese EV imports gain ground in Brazil as local automakers lag

Brazil’s passenger car market is expanding rapidly. Between January and April, 659,500 passenger vehicles were sold, an increase of 19.4% compared with the first four months of 2025. Passenger cars drove total vehicle sales, which reached 873,500 units, up 14.9%, while truck and bus sales continued to decline, falling 17.2% and 16%, respectively.

That growth, however, was not reflected in production. From January to April, Brazil produced 872,600 vehicles, an increase of just 4.9%, well below the pace of market expansion. The slower production growth partly reflects the growing appeal of imported cars among consumers who previously remained loyal to domestically produced models.

At the same time, the trend is also visible abroad. Vehicles manufactured in Brazil are losing market share in neighboring countries to other foreign brands, particularly Chinese automakers.

Chinese imports are gaining ground across South America. As a result, Brazil’s vehicle exports fell 11.7% in April to 43,200 units. In the first four months of the year, exports dropped 16.9%, totaling 142,400 units. Revenue from overseas sales declined 25.5% during the period to $3.2 billion.

In Brazil, sales of imported vehicles rose 12% in the first four months of the year, including a sharp 31% increase in April compared with the same month last year. Imported vehicles accounted for 24% of retail sales last month. Sales of vehicles imported from China surged 81.6% in the period.

Much of the strong performance of imported vehicles reflects rising Brazilian demand for hybrid and electric cars. According to the Brazilian Electric Vehicle Association (ABVE), monthly average sales of hybrid and fully electric vehicles reached 30,600 units between January and April, up 124% from the same period of 2025, when average monthly sales totaled 13,600 units.

ABVE classifies electrified vehicles as fully electric models, plug-in hybrids, and conventional hybrids with electric propulsion. The association does not classify so-called mild hybrids as electrified because they do not feature electric traction. Under that methodology, electrified vehicles accounted for 16.2% of passenger car and light commercial vehicle sales in April.

Last week, Thomas Owsianski, the new CEO of General Motors for South America, said that no one could have predicted a year ago that hybrid and electric vehicle sales in Brazil would reach current levels.

According to the National Association of Vehicle Manufacturers (ANFAVEA), which includes mild hybrid cars in its calculations, locally produced vehicles already account for 40% of electrified vehicle sales. Although they lack electric propulsion, mild hybrid cars are expected to occupy the role once held by Brazil’s economy car in the electrification era.

Most automakers with factories in Brazil are investing in developing these vehicles, particularly models capable of running on ethanol.

The perception that imported vehicles are taking over market share once dominated by locally produced models is increasingly evident in comments from industry executives. Reviewing first-quarter results last week, ANFAVEA president Igor Calvet said, “We are not capturing all of the demand in the domestic market.”