Car production and sales data, like China's economic data, showed a downward trend in growth rates. In the first quarter, China’s GDP grew by 7% year-on-year, which is the same as the lowest growth rate in the past decade. Affected by the slowdown in economic growth, China’s auto production and sales in April were about 2 million, which was basically the same as the same period of last year. In April, the production and sales volume of commercial vehicles declined, and passenger car production and sales volume increased by a two-year low.

According to data released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, auto production and sales in April respectively completed 2,079,700 and 1,949,500 vehicles, which represented a year-on-year increase of 0.6% in sales and a decrease in sales volume of 0.5%. From January to April, the production and sales of automobiles reached 8,280,800 vehicles and 8,148,800 vehicles respectively, which increased by 4.1% and 2.8% respectively over the same period.

The decline in production and sales of commercial vehicles, including trucks and buses, was most significant. In the first four months, commercial vehicles produced and sold 1.127 million and 1.117 million commercial vehicles, a year-on-year decrease of 18.50% and 19.13%.

Excluding festive factors, the last time the Chinese auto market did not grow year-on-year was in September 2012, when the contradictions between the Chinese and Japanese governments in the East China Sea intensified, and it significantly affected the sales of Japanese automakers in China.

China Association of Automobile Manufacturers expects passenger car production and sales to increase 8% year-on-year in 2015, down from 9.9% last year and 16% the year before.

Many auto giants sold poorly in China in April. GE and its Chinese partners sold 258,484 vehicles last month, a year-on-year decrease of 1%. Ford's April sales did not change substantially year-on-year; Nissan’s April sales fell 19% year-on-year. They all attributed the poor performance to excessive competition and the large area of ​​light commercial vehicles.

The sales volume of overseas manufacturers in April decreased by 3% year-on-year, but the sales volume of Chinese manufacturers rose by 14% year-on-year, of which total sales of Chinese brand SUVs totaled 966,800 from January to April, an increase of 103.9% year-on-year, and the market share increased by 14.9 percentage points from the same period of last year.

Industry insiders once said, “We think that the slowdown in the auto market growth is far from over,” because the slowdown in China’s economy has a big impact on consumption.