China is
the world's biggest exporter of cars after overtaking Japan in the first three
months of the year.
China exported
1.07 million vehicles in the period, up 58% compared to the first quarter of
2022.
At the same
time Japan's vehicle exports stood at 954,185.
Last year,
China overtook Germany to become the world's second largest car exporter.
According to
China's General Administration of Customs, China exported 3.2 million vehicles
in 2022, compared to Germany's 2.6 million vehicle exports.
The shift away
from fossil fuels has helped fuel the rise of China's motor industry.
First quarter
exports of new energy vehicles (NEVs), which include electric cars, rose by
more than 90%, compared to a year earlier.
Elon Musk's
electric carmaker has a huge manufacturing plant in Shanghai which exports to
regions including Japan and Europe.
Tesla's
'Gigafactory' is currently capable of producing 1.25 million vehicles a year,
and the company is planning to increase capacity.
Last month, it
started making Model Y sport utility vehicles for export to Canada.
Last, year,
Chinese carmakers saw their market share in Russia jump after rivals including
Volkswagen and Toyota quit the country following the invasion of Ukraine.
From BBC (edited)
