Carmakers' sales sink in China due to coronavirus epidemic

Vehicle sales in China, the world's biggest car market, tumbled in February as customers stayed at home and away from dealerships due to the coronavirus epidemic. It has killed 3,100 people in the world's second-biggest economy.

Passenger car retail sales in China fell 80% last month, preliminary data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) showed.

Below are details on carmakers' announcements (in alphabetical order):

• BAIC BluePark, electric unit of state-owned BAIC Group, sold 1,002 units in February, down 65.1% from a year earlier.
• Shenzhen electric vehicle maker BYD sold 5,501 cars last month, 79.5% lower year on year.
• Guangzhou-based GAC, which has joint ventures with Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi and FCA, said it sold 19,347 vehicles in February, down 81.1% year on year.
• Geely Automobile said it sold 21,168 Geely and Lynk & Co cars last month, 75% lower than a year earlier.
• General Motors' Shanghai joint venture with SAIC Motor sold 7,612 units in February, down 92.2% year on year.
• GM's Guangxi-based venture with SAIC Motor and a local partner sold 11,800 units in February, down 88.1% year on year.
• Honda Motor, which has joint ventures with GAC and Hubei-based Dongfeng, sold 11,288 units last month, down 85.1% year on year.
• Volkswagen's Anhui-based electric vehicle partner JAC sold 11,550 units in February, down by 63.4% year on year.
• JMC, in which Ford also has a stake, sold 4,672 vehicles in February, down 64.5% year on year.
• Nissan, which has a joint venture with Dongfeng, said sales dropped 80.3% year on year to 15,111 units in February.
• China's biggest automaker, SAIC Motor, which has joint ventures with Volkswagen and General Motors, said group sales dropped 86.9% to 47,365 units last month.
• Japanese automaker Toyota, which has joint ventures with FAW Group and GAC, sold 23,800 Toyota and premium Lexus cars, 70.2% lower year on year.
• Volkswagen's Shanghai-based venture with SAIC Motor sold 10,000 cars last month, down 91.0% year on year.