TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Approximately 31,900 new vehicles were registered in Taiwan in May, CNA reported on Monday.
The figure marked a 2.9% decline from April and a 23.1% drop year-on-year. From January to May, approximately 164,600 new vehicles were registered in Taiwan, representing a 13.8% decrease compared to the same period last year.
Taiwan's auto market in May was mainly affected by the Trump administration’s tariff policies. Although the Ministry of Finance extended the deadline for filing individual and corporate income taxes to June 30, overall consumer sentiment remained cautious.
The market is expected to see a slight rebound in June, coinciding with the peak season and major car brands launching promotional campaigns, with around 33,000 new vehicle registrations anticipated. However, this would still show a 21% year-on-year decline.
The top three car brands in terms of sales in May were Toyota, Lexus, and China Motor Corp. Mazda saw a notable boost, with sales rising 80% from April due to its new CX-5 units.
Hotai Motor Co., the distributor for Toyota and Lexus, reported the two brands registered around 11,600 vehicles in May, capturing a market share of 36.3%. This marked the second-highest market share for the period, just below the 36.9% recorded in 2009.
From January to May, Toyota and Lexus registered 65,000 vehicles, a 4.5% year-on-year increase and a market share of 39.5%. Both figures set records for the period. The company estimates new vehicle registrations for the two brands will reach around 11,600 in June, with a market share of 35%.
Yulon Motor Co.’s Luxgen n7 electric car delivered 237 units in May. Total sales for the n7 reached 1,628 units in the first five months of this year, compared to 7,121 units delivered in all of last year.
In May, 7,936 luxury vehicles were registered, down 29.3% year-on-year, representing a market share of 24.9%. Lexus led the segment with 2,602 registrations, capturing a 32.8% share of the luxury car market, with its NX lineup accounting for 909 of those units.
