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With Soft Sales in Brazil and Protests in China, Chinese Automaker Tries to Prove It Is Still Alive. Financial Crisis, Production Halt, and Rumors of Escape Make the Brand Reappear and Explain What It Aims to Do with the Brazilian Market.
The Chinese manufacturer Neta Auto, which arrived in Brazil with ambitious promises of prominence in the electric vehicle sector, has reemerged after a long period of silence.
After more than a month with the official website down and the Instagram account inactive, the company resumed its institutional communication and assured that it will not leave the Brazilian market, despite the difficulties faced globally.
In a recent statement, Neta Auto claimed that its business operations and dealerships remain active in Brazil, with a presence in five capitals: Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Maceió, Recife, and Natal.
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Nevertheless, signs of instability raise doubts about the brand’s future in the country.
Since the end of 2024, the automaker has registered only 51 vehicles licensed in Brazil, according to public market data.
The models offered are the Neta Aya, a 100% electric compact sold for R$ 133,900, and the Neta X, a medium SUV with an initial price of R$ 209,900.
The third planned model, the sporty Neta GT, was announced but had its launch canceled in Brazil.
Crisis at Neta’s Factories in China
Despite the resumption of communication in the country, the situation at the parent company in China remains critical.
The Neta factories have been idle since the beginning of 2025, reflecting a deep financial crisis that began the previous year.
According to the Brazilian subsidiary, the parent company Hozon New Energy started a restructuring plan in February that involves exchanging debts for shares of the company itself, a measure aimed at regaining the trust of suppliers and business partners.
The company states that more than 50% of this conversion operation has already been completed and that negotiations with new investors are ongoing, with direct support from the municipal government of Tongxiang, where the automaker’s main manufacturing plant is located.
Nonetheless, the Aya and GT models remain without a forecast for resuming production, while the Neta X and Neta L remain in the company’s catalog.
Protests, Debts, and Operational Collapse
The severity of the situation was highlighted in April 2025, when Chinese dealers organized protests outside the factory in Tongxiang, demanding compensation for losses and undelivered goods.
It is estimated that the manufacturer’s debts to suppliers amount to more than US$ 200 million, according to local press reports.
The crisis gained visibility when Neta employees in China did not receive the promised bonuses at the beginning of 2024, which allegedly triggered a series of logistical delays and a slowdown in sales.
Since then, the company has been trying to maintain its operation through cuts and renegotiations.
Drop in Sales and Contraction of the Chinese Market
The peak of Neta’s trajectory occurred in 2022, when the company achieved 152,073 vehicles sold in China.
Performance dropped significantly in the following years, with only 87,684 units sold in 2024.
In 2025, numbers continued to decline: there were only 487 units sold in January and February, with no public data for March.
Attempts at International Expansion
With domestic demand falling, Neta has bet on the international market as an attempt to survive.
The automaker opened an assembly line in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2023, treating the country as its main bet abroad.
During the Bangkok Motor Show, held between March and April this year, the company celebrated the sale of 1,209 vehicles.
Despite the enthusiasm, the number is still considered modest for the company’s goals, which aims to achieve profits outside of China by 2026.
Other markets, however, have shown less tolerance for Neta’s issues.
In Singapore, for example, the local importer ended the distribution contract after not receiving the promised cars, even with formalized orders.
The result was only four vehicles registered before the closure of operations.
Doubts About Neta’s Presence in Brazil
Neta’s instability has generated speculation on social media and in specialized groups about a possible termination of its Brazilian operation.
The fact that the company went offline for weeks without a public explanation increased distrust among consumers and dealers.
When questioned about the episode, the company limited itself to saying that “it will continue to communicate its next steps and strategic decisions”.
Even with a lean product line and production halted in China, Neta is maintaining the prices of its two models in Brazil, without announcing promotions or aggressive discounts to boost sales.
The Neta Aya and Neta X remain available on the reactivated official website, but no new registrations have been recorded since May 2025.
The brand has also not committed to new deliveries or launch schedules, which reinforces Brazilian consumers’ caution in an uncertain scenario.
The absence of active production and low sales volumes raise doubts about the medium-term viability of the automaker in the country.
As restructuring progresses in China with municipal support and a search for external capital, it remains to be seen whether Neta can sustain its presence in Brazil without a solid base of local production and sales.
After all, is the Brazilian market ready to trust an automaker that has yet to prove its delivery and permanence capabilities?
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