China exported 8.205 million vehicles in the first three quarters of 2026, up 65.8 per cent year on year, and is on course to pass 10 million for the first time in a calendar year. The more instructive number sits underneath the total: plug-in hybrid exports reached 1.557 million units, roughly two and a half times the prior year, while new energy vehicles have held above 50 per cent of export volume for several consecutive months.
The annual China Heart evaluation, run by the magazine Auto & Sport, put 14 engines and hybrid systems through real-road testing at the Jialian proving ground in Gaoyou, Jiangsu on 26 October. Nine were plug-in hybrids, two were conventional hybrids and three were pure combustion engines. The entry list ran from SAIC Volkswagen, Volvo, GAC Trumpchi, Denza and FAW Hongqi to SAIC-GM, FAW Audi, Haosi Powertrain, FAW Toyota, Great Wall, Chery, SAIC, GAC Honda and JMC Ford.
From chasing specifications to solving specific problems
Yang Jianjun, editor-in-chief of Auto & Sport, said the entries showed a decisive tilt towards plug-in hybrids, with Chinese brands iterating their own technology while joint ventures move into what he called Chinese-style hybrid territory. Diesel and diesel-hybrid products also appeared, extending the range of technology routes on show.
The 800V hybrid system in the new Hongqi H9 pairs a longitudinally mounted 2.0-litre hybrid engine with a two-speed longitudinal front-drive hybrid transmission. The layout resolves a packaging conflict between a high-output powertrain, a large battery and a premium chassis, and improves axle load distribution.
BYD’s He Yuan platform takes a different angle. It moves the catalytic converter forward into the front compartment, restructuring an exhaust layout that had separated catalyst and silencer for half a century. The change releases underbody space, allows a larger battery and preserves all-wheel drive, and is already in series production.
Chery’s RELY Hi800 uses a 2.5-litre plug-in diesel hybrid, the first mass-produced diesel hybrid engine of that displacement developed in China. Its electronically controlled water-cooled bypass EGR module, paired with in-house control software, is claimed to respond up to 50 per cent faster and more precisely than a mechanical system.
The export route now runs both ways
Haosi Powertrain, which sells complete powertrains to third parties, is adapting combustion, hybrid and range-extender packages for overseas customers. Great Wall’s 3.0-litre diesel, developed for international pickups, carries more than ten noise and vibration treatments and meets China 6b emissions with headroom for the upcoming China 7 standard.
The more consequential shift is at the joint ventures. SAIC-GM’s entry was developed by a Chinese team and is expected to be sold globally. GAC Trumpchi engineers said their hybrid system will be fitted to joint-venture global models, a reversal of the direction that has defined the industry for two decades.
Xu Min, director of the Automotive Engineering Institute at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said the entries continued a pattern of parallel technology routes, with international brands moving towards Chinese market solutions and deeper cooperation. He added that AI will change powertrain development itself, raising both efficiency and the probability of reaching a better engineering answer.
Editor’s note: This is an adapted translation of the original Gasgoo report. It has been trimmed and restructured for readability for an international business audience. The full original (in Chinese) is at https://auto.gasgoo.com/news/202610/31I70476496C108.shtml.