Just a few days ago, a Ferrari executive remarked that Chinese automakers appear to be treating cars as fast-moving consumer goods.

He observed that Chinese automakers are rolling out new models almost monthly, with such rapid updates quickly rendering older models outdated for consumers.

These comments sparked widespread surprise that automotive "luxury" brands are taking note of Chinese automakers, signaling a major shake-up in the nearly century-old automotive market.

Unsurprisingly, many netizens concurred with the executive, noting that domestic cars are now comparable to fast-moving consumer goods—a vehicle purchased this month may become obsolete the next.

This is no overstatement; data reveals that over 600 new car models were introduced in the Chinese automotive market in the first half of 2026, with 544-550 models launched from January to May and 613-630 models from January to June.

Some bloggers calculated that 613-630 new models were released in the first half of the year, averaging more than 100 per month—equivalent to 3.5 new models launched daily.

Such a frequency of updates indeed outpaces the smartphone market and approaches the refresh rate of fast-moving consumer goods.

One netizen quipped, "A new car could be released while you're having a meal. Three meals a day means three new models, plus a midnight snack—it's absolute madness!"

Data indicates that only about 50-180 new smartphone models were released domestically during the same period.

However, these figures are broad, encompassing all versions, including brand-new models, annual facelifts, minor configuration adjustments, color updates, and battery range improvements. Over 80% are minor derivatives of existing models, with only about 107 being truly new models on entirely new platforms or architectures.

Today, another trending topic has left many astonished—the average age of new energy vehicles is just 1.8 years...

According to the "2025 China Automotive Aftermarket Annual Development Report" jointly released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) and Hejun Consulting, the average age of fuel-powered passenger vehicles is 8.2 years, with nearly 60% being over seven years old.

However, the report also reveals that the average age of NEV passenger vehicles is just 1.8 years, with 90% being between one and three years old.

This means the average age of fuel-powered vehicles is 4.5 times that of NEVs.

From another perspective, data shows that the average replacement cycle for smartphones among Chinese consumers reached 42 months (three and a half years) in 2026, meaning smartphones are used twice as long as NEVs on average.

So, what's driving this frequent car replacement? Firstly, the technological iteration of new energy products is incredibly rapid.

The "big three" components of fuel-powered vehicles—engine, transmission, and chassis—have mature technologies with replacement cycles of 5-8 years.

In contrast, NEVs in the era of intelligence focus on the three electric systems (battery, motor, and electronic control), chip computing power, and intelligent driving software. Currently, the development cycle for new domestic car models has been significantly shortened to 18-24 months, far less than the 60 months in the fuel-powered era. Models launched just two or three years ago already show significant technological gaps in range, computing power, and charging efficiency compared to newer models.

Additionally, NEVs have only seen explosive growth in the past five years, resulting in a generally newer market inventory. The influx of recently launched models has directly lowered the average vehicle age.

Coupled with the fact that young people are the core user group for NEV owners, this further shortens the replacement cycle.

However, such frequent replacements are becoming the biggest hidden danger for the NEV market, potentially requiring consumers to re-evaluate (reconstruct) their perceptions of car ownership.

Data shows that the three-year residual value rate for NEVs is only around 43%.

Battery degradation, a core concern, also causes anxiety among owners. Currently, used car dealers are generally reluctant to acquire NEVs over six years old, with eight years or 120,000 kilometers marking the "death line" for NEVs.

Combined with frequent updates in chips and intelligent driving computing power, NEVs are depreciating even faster.

When these factors converge, they may eventually backfire on the entire NEV market...

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