The overall car sales for April 2026 is still on a downward trend thanks to the ongoing oil crisis. Good news for brands with electrified offerings though as new energy vehicles are still popular despite the slight dip from the previous month. This is all according to the report of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. and the Truck Manufacturers Association.
Total sales for April hit 27,225 units, down from the 36,104 units from March which is a 24.6% decline. It’s also 18.9% lower than the same month in 2025. This is due to some brands hitting the red in double digits like Honda (-68.3%), Hyundai (-43.4%), Subaru (-48.8%), Mitsubishi (-39.6%), and Nissan (-53.8%).
CAMPI President Jose Maria Atienza said that “while the market has not fully recovered from last year’s second semester slowdown, this was further affected by the oil crisis with customers carefully considering their car purchase.”
Meanwhile, sales for xEVs or electrified cars are still stable. It might be down 5% at 5,855 units compared to the 6,148 sold in March (again because of the mad rush for xEVs), but it’s a massive 288% growth compared to April of last year. This also puts their market share at 22%, up from last month’s 17% on the table.
Battery electric vehicles are down 76.6% as many brands are in the red. Still, Lynk & Co posted the highest growth at 83.3% followed by Ford at 66.7%. But in terms of rankings, Tesla is back at the top spot of BEVs moving 92 units, followed by Geely at 90, then MG at 51.
Plug-in hybrid vehicles still had a significant jump at 91.5%, moving 1,329 units in April. BAIC had a 228% growth, followed by Omoda and Jaecoo at 149.3% that earned them a 3rd spot in the PHEV podium. Still, the top spot went to Geely that sold 493 PHEVs, followed by Jetour at 387.
The hybrid space has a more modest increase at 12%, but still the biggest slice with 4,107 units sold compared to March’s 3,667. MG had a 93.8% increase, with BAIC a distant second at 31.6%. In terms of rankings, Toyota had the biggest slice at 2,870 units sold, followed by Ford at 569, and then MG at 219.
“The customers are very much aware of what’s practical during these times thus the increased demand for energy efficient vehicles like xEVs and lower displacement, fuel-efficient Internal Combustion Engine(ICE) vehicles,” said Atienza.
That last bit is important because Suzuki Philippines, which only has mild-hybrid vehicles, jumped to the third overall in rankings for April. They’re also in the red from last month’s number, but they still manage to move 1,339 units.
The total industry sales might be down but the market share of xEVs are getting bigger. The 17.03% slice in March is now at 21.51% for April. It could get bigger as more affordable EVs are coming in the market like the recently launched GAC AION UT. There could also be new choices at the upcoming Philippine International Auto Show on June 4-7 2026 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.
