Cobalt sales drop 30% as electric vehicles gain traction in Uzbekistan automarket

Data released by Uzavtosanoat JSC reveals that automotive enterprises across Uzbekistan sold a combined total of 121,601 vehicles between January and April 2026. This reflects a 13.8% growth compared to the same period last year, marking an increase of 14,760 vehicles.

A key highlight of the yearly dynamics is the exponential growth of BYD Uzbekistan. The joint venture sold 10,927 vehicles during the four–month period, representing an 83.5% jump from the 5,953 units sold during the same months last year. Other manufacturing facilities also recorded positive trajectories. Khorezm Auto expanded its sales by 30%, rising from 28,789 to 37,559 units, while ADM Jizzakh saw a 19% increase, pushing its volume from 12,120 to 14,460 vehicles.

In contrast, the dominant market player UzAuto Motors experienced a mild 2% contraction, with its sales dipping from 59,427 to 58,168 units. This minor dip directly impacted the market share of the Chevrolet brand. Chevrolet’s total market share slid below the 80% threshold, dropping from 82,5% last year to 78.7% in the current reporting period. Although overall Chevrolet sales technically grew by 8.5%, faster growth rates from competitors like BYD (+83%) and Kia (+15%) eroded Chevrolet's dominant market share by 3.8 percentage points.

The shift in consumer preference is highly evident when examining specific vehicle models. The Chevrolet Cobalt, historically the top-selling car in the country, saw its sales plunge by 29%, failing to cross the 30,000-unit mark in the first four months of the year.

Conversely, demand for other domestic models rose sharply. Sales of the Damas microvan climbed 34% to 25,600 units, while the Tracker crossover grew 35% with 14,000 units sold. The Chevrolet Onix registered the strongest growth within the brand, with sales multiplying 2.4 times to reach 13,800 units.

Outside of the Chevrolet lineup, the Kia Sonet maintained its position as the top-selling model, moving 7,189 units during the four-month stretch – a 37% increase year-on-year. It was followed closely by the hybrid BYD Song Plus Champion DM-i, which saw its sales nearly double, rising 93% to 3,800 units.

The most dramatic growth rate in the entire market was recorded by the compact electric crossover BYD Yuan Up. During the same period last year, BYD Uzbekistan sold 843 units of this model, but that number skyrocketed 3.2 times to reach 2,752 units in 2026, underscoring the accelerating transition toward electric mobility among Uzbek consumers.