hong kongchinas passenger car retail sales growth slowed last year to 19 as auto makers faced severe production disruptions and economic challenges under strict covid curbs chinas car makers and dealers sold 205 million passenger cars in 2022 the china passenger car association said tuesday in december retail sales were 217 million up 3 from the same month a year earlier as consumers took advantage of the last month of state support for car buyers which included subsidies for electric vehicles and tax cuts for midrange car purchases the countrys retail sales of newenergy cars which includes allelectric vehicles and plugin hybrids reached almost 567 million in 2022 almost double that of 2021 and reaching a record in december china sold 640000 newenergy cars up 35 from a year earlier including 455000 cars that were allelectric overall automobile production grew 116 in 2022 compared with a year earlier auto manufacturers produced 15 fewer cars in december from a year earlier as the country was in the grip of a nationwide covid outbreak after beijing eased its pandemic policies the overall market was exceptionally complex last year said cui dongshu cpcas general secretary the market last year saw slumps in april and in november but werent fully offset by the growth seen in june and december he said