Domestic motor vehicle sales rebounded in June, rising 11 percent from the previous month, but the increase was not enough to offset weak first-half performance, with industry sales ending 11.4 percent lower year-on-year as all vehicle categories remained in negative territory, according to data from the Chamber Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines (CAMPI) and the Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA).
For the first six months of the year, domestic motor vehicle sales reached 204,557 units, down 11.4 percent from the 230,912 units sold in the same period last year. Both commercial and passenger vehicle segments posted declines of more than 11 percent. Earlier, the local automotive industry officially scrapped its initial 2026 target of 500,000. Instead, CAMPI projected full-year sales to decline by 5 to 8 percent due to softened market demand linked to Middle East geopolitical tensions and fuel price pressures.
Of total sales in the first half, commercial vehicle contributed 164,054 units, down 11.4 percent from 185,265 units same period last year. Passenger car sales likewise fell 11.3 percent to 40,503 units from 45,647 units in the first half of 2025.
All vehicle categories posted declines, ranging from 8 percent to 45 percent. Heavy-duty trucks and buses recorded the steepest drop at 45.1 percent, while Asian utility vehicles posted the smallest decline at 8.1 percent.
But sales for the month of June rose 11 percent to 37,231 units from 33,532 units in May, although they remained 8 percent lower than the 40,483 units sold in June 2025.
According to CAMPI President Jose Maria Atienza, the auto industry’s June performance signaled a more optimistic outlook for the second half, with vehicle sales projected to surpass last year’s monthly levels during the period.
“This June, we saw sales of both Internal ICE vehicles and xEVs rise. Industry sales of gas and diesel cars grew by 10.0% versus May due to more stable fuel prices, while xEVs grew by 49.2% thanks to improving supply level,” said Atienza.
Atienza said the recently held Philippine International Motor Show, which featured a number of new Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and various Electrified Vehicle (xEV) models, is expected to add momentum to improving market demand.
Except for light-duty and medium-duty trucks, all other vehicle categories posted positive month-on-month growth in June.
Data showed that June’s month-on-month growth was driven primarily by passenger cars, which rose 20.5 percent, followed by heavy-duty trucks and buses at 22.4 percent, Asian utility vehicles at 12.5 percent, and light commercial vehicles at 7.9 percent.
Including non-CAMPI-TMA sales, total industry sales for June were estimated at 42,000 units, representing an 18.7 percent increase from May 2026.
In terms of electric vehicles, CAMPI-TMA members sold a total of 6,995 electrified vehicles (xEVs) in June, up 13.76 percent from 6,032 units in May. Of this number, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 3,193 units, followed by hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) with 2,121 units and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) with 1,681 units.
BEVs posted the strongest month-on-month growth at 56.9 percent, while PHEV sales increased 32.1 percent. HEV sales, however, declined by 22.1 percent.
For the first half of the year, total xEV sales reached 31,381 units, up 133.38 percent from 13,448 units in the same period in 2025. HEVs accounted for the largest share with 17,148 units, followed by BEVs with 8,702 units and PHEVs with 5,531 units.
Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. (TMPC) remained the market leader in June with sales of 17,627 units. Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. (MMPC) retained second place with 6,535 units. Completing the top five were Suzuki Philippines Inc. (SPI) with 1,532 units, Ford Group Philippines Inc. (FGP) with 1,298 units, and Honda Cars Philippines Inc. (HCPI) with 1,245 units.
