China Sees Significant Increase in Motor Vehicles and Drivers in First Half of 2023
According to the Ministry of Public Security, the number of motor vehicles in China has reached a staggering 426 million as of the end of June 2023. This figure includes 328 million cars and 16.2 million new energy vehicles, highlighting the country’s growing dependence on automobiles. Furthermore, there are now 513 million motor vehicle drivers, with 475 million of them specifically licensed to drive cars.
In the first half of this year alone, China witnessed the registration of 16.88 million newly registered motor vehicles and the licensing of 11.91 million new drivers across the nation. This data showcases the increasing demand for personal vehicles and the corresponding need for properly licensed drivers.
The statistics also reveal that in the first half of 2023, there was a year-on-year increase of 1.9% in newly registered motor vehicles, reaching a total of 16.88 million. Additionally, 11.75 million new cars were registered during this period, reflecting a significant 5.8% yearly increase. Of the newly registered automobiles, 10.34 million were passenger vehicles, witnessing a 5.6% growth, while 1.33 million were trucks, experiencing an 8.1% increase.
Furthermore, the number of new energy vehicles reached an impressive 16.2 million, with 3.128 million new registrations observed in the first half of the year. Pure electric vehicles dominated this sector, accounting for 12.594 million of the total new energy vehicle count, representing 77.8% of the total. The first half of 2023 saw a record-high increase of 41.6% in new registrations of new energy vehicles, totaling 3.128 million. These numbers now comprise 26.6% of the overall new vehicle registrations.
It is worth noting that the country witnessed substantial urbanization in terms of vehicles, with 88 cities boasting over 1 million cars. Notably, Beijing and Chengdu stand out with over 3 million cars each. Additionally, 41 cities have more than 2 million cars, and 24 cities claim over 3 million cars. Chongqing, Shanghai, and Suzhou fall into this category with more than 5 million cars each.
Amidst this growth, there has been a significant shift towards online transactions for vehicle and driver’s license-related services. In the first half of 2023, public security traffic control departments actively promoted online operations for various traffic control services, such as the replacement of license plates without the need to visit physical offices. The country witnessed a 30.9% year-on-year increase in online applications for the replacement of driver’s licenses as well as the issuance of temporary license plates, resulting in a total of 58.33 million online transactions.
As China’s motor vehicle industry continues to expand rapidly, these statistics highlight the nation’s evolving transportation landscape and the necessity for efficient traffic management systems to support this growing demand.