Philippine auto sales fall in February but electric vehicles power ahead

By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Reporter

PHILIPPINE automotive sales dropped year on year in February as demand for passenger cars and commercial vehicles slumped, according to a joint report by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) and the Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA).

However, sales of electric vehicles (EVs) surged in February, reflecting an ongoing shift in consumer preference.

The joint CAMPI-TMA report published on Wednesday showed that vehicle sales declined by 8.5% to 35,842 units in February from 39,164 units sold in the same month in 2025.

Including other industry data, CAMPI said total vehicle sales reached 37,700 units in February.

Month on month, vehicle sales rose by 6.4% from 33,696 units sold in January.

CAMPI President Jose Maria M. Atienza said February’s car sales performance gives a more stable outlook for the industry this year, after the sluggish demand in the latter half of 2025.

He attributed the higher month-on-month sales to improved supply.

“We experienced an expected drop in January, partly caused by the leaner supply as an effect of the strong buyer demand we saw in December,” Mr. Atienza said.

According to the industry report, passenger car sales in February declined by 13.6% to 7,047 units from 8,154 units sold last year. This accounted for 19.66% of total industry sales.

Month on month, passenger car sales jumped by 14.07% from 6,178 units sold in January.

Commercial vehicle sales, which accounted for 80.34% of the market, slipped by 7.1% to 28,795 units in February. On a monthly basis, sales of commercial vehicles rose by 4.6%.

Broken down, light commercial vehicle sales fell by an annual 13.3% to 20,284 units in February, but Asian utility vehicle (AUV) sales jumped by 14.5% to 7,653 units.

Month on month, sales of light commercial vehicles dipped by 0.5%, while AUV sales went up by 22.4%.

Sales of light trucks slumped by 8.1% to 509 units in February from 554 a year prior. Month on month, light truck sales declined by 15.9%.

Medium truck sales edged up by 8.7% to 311 units in February, but month-on-month sales surged by 37.6% from 226 units sold in January.

Sales of heavy trucks plunged by 55.3% to 38 units in February from 85 sold a year ago. On a monthly basis, heavy truck sales slipped by 9.5% from 42 in January.

For the first two months of the year, total vehicle sales fell by 9.4% to 69,538 units from 76,768 units sold in the same period last year.

Commercial vehicle sales slid by 7.5% to 56,313 units, while passenger car sales dropped by 16.7% to 13,225 units in the January-to-February period.

However, recent fuel price hikes triggered by tensions in the Middle East could affect vehicle sales in the coming months, Mr. Atienza said.

Jonathan L. Ravelas, a senior adviser at Reyes Tacandong & Co., said the annual drop in February car sales reflects tighter household budgets and growing caution amid global uncertainties.

“Middle East tensions add pressure by pushing oil prices higher, which raises fuel costs and inflation risks and makes big‑ticket purchases like cars easier to postpone,” he said in a Viber message.

EV DEMAND RISES
Meanwhile, electric vehicle demand is a bright spot for the industry, as sales increased by double digits.

CAMPI and TMA data showed that EV sales surged by 70.6% to 3,098 units in February from 1,816 units in the same period last year.

The segment, which includes battery EV (BEV), plug-in hybrid EV (PHEV), and hybrid EV (HEV), saw sales jump by 18.7% from 2,610 units sold in January.

As of end-February, EV sales soared by 66.9% to 5,701 units from 3,416 units sold in the same period a year ago.

HEVs accounted for the bulk of sales, which jumped by 56% to 2,479 units in February. This brought the two-month HEV sales to 4,551 units, up 50% year on year.

In February, BEV sales jumped by an annual 79.9% to 340 units, while sales of PHEVs surged by 634.2% to 279 units.

In the two-month period, BEV sales increased by 77.3% to 594, while PHEV sales skyrocketed by 1,083% to 556 units.

Mr. Atienza noted that CAMPI-TMA members have been expanding and diversifying their product lineups with energy efficient and electrified options.

“If fuel prices stay volatile, we’ll likely see traditional vehicle sales remain soft while EVs and hybrids continue to gain ground,” Mr. Ravelas said.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said the faster growth in motorcycle sales could mean that Filipinos are seeking cheaper alternatives to four-wheeled vehicles.

Philippine motorcycle sales rose by 11% year on year to 1.87 million in 2025, the Federation of Asian Motorcycle Industries reported in February.

CAMPI and TMA data showed that Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. remained the market leader with a 49.33% market share, despite a 6.3% dip in sales to 34,300 units as of end-February.

This was followed by Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. which saw sales decline by 7.6% to 14,361 units during the two-month period.

Suzuki Phils., Inc. came in third amid an 8.5% decline to 3,256 units sold.

Nissan Philippines, Inc. ranked fourth despite a 29.2% sales drop to 3,143 units; while Ford Motor Company Phils., Inc. ranked fifth after a 21.8% decline in sales to 2,607 units.