Price War Heats Up, Only Three EV Brands Are Profitable in China

Relying on the Export Market

The price war in 2025 is considered increasingly aggressive, even though when it comes to demand, the numbers have not grown as much as expected.

Nick Lai, a JP Morgan Analyst, revealed that sales to the international market are actually more profitable and help Chinese brands survive. Therefore, many brands have started to focus on exports.

From an export perspective, Chinese electric cars account for 33 percent of all four-wheeled vehicles sold from there to various countries in the global market.

This figure is an impressive record, up from 25 percent over the last two years.

Photo : KatadataOTO

Although it is not considered the main way out for brands to survive, the export market is an option that can be taken at least to make a profit.

Indonesia is one of the countries considered to have good prospects, becoming a target for a number of Chinese automotive brands to market their electric vehicle products.

Photo : KatadataOTO

This newcomer managed to climb to sixth place in the top 10 best-selling car brands by retail as of April 2025, with 3,531 units. Its premium sub-brand, Denza, ranked 10th with 847 units.

Other Chinese brands like Chery and Wuling are also pushing forward, contributing retail sales of 1,549 units and 1,293 units, respectively.

The car market in Indonesia itself tends to be more stable when it comes to discounts. Moreover, domestically, car prices increase every year due to several factors, one of which is taxes.