According to the latest data issued by the China Automotive Industry Association (CAIA), in the first quarter of the current year Chinese domestic auto sales reached 4,983,700 units, up 8.08 percent year on year.
Specifically, in March, the output and sales volumes of domestically-produced automotive vehicles (both passenger and commercial vehicles) in China both rose by five percent year on year, reaching 1,827,300 and 1,827,500 units respectively. During the first three months of the current year, the corresponding figures were respectively 4,895,700 and 4,983,700 units, climbing 7.48 percent and 8.08 percent compared to the same period of 2010. These growth rates were respectively 69.51 and 63.7 percentage points lower than the year-on-year increases recorded in the first quarter of last year.
As the vice president and secretary general of the CAIA Dong Yang commented, the slumps in the year-on-year growth figures were attributable to several factors: the cancellation of the government's auto purchase stimulus policy, the rise of oil prices, restrictions on auto purchases in some cities and the recent earthquake in Japan.
The CAIA also stated that in the first quarter the top ten automakers regarding sales volumes in China were Shanghai Auto, Dongfeng Automobile, Changan Automobile, Faw Car, Beijing Auto, Guangzhou Auto, Chery Automobile, Jianghuai Automobile, Brilliance China Automotive and Great Wall Motor. The combined sales of these producers accounted for 87 percent of total sales nationwide during the quarter in question.