Exterior view of the Tesla Gigafactory during a government-sponsored media visit in Shanghai, China, April 14, 2026.
Go Nakamura | Reuters
BEIJING — A survivor is emerging in China’s fiercely competitive auto market, where electric vehicles increasingly dominate.
According to Autohome’s industry data, the brands that have emerged as Chinese consumers’ favorites are:
1. Geely Automobile ranks first
Of the 10 most popular car models sold in China in the six months to July, geely‘s Xingyuan electric hatchback was a bestseller with approximately 197,500 units sold.
What’s the price? Just under 100,000 yuan ($14,820).
Geely has emerged as a close rival to BYD, with the company expected to rank second in overall sales in China in 2025. The Hangzhou-based company still sells gasoline-powered vehicles in addition to electric vehicles such as its premium brand Zeekr.
2. Tesla continues to sell
The company’s Model Y ranked second in popularity with more than 180,000 electric SUVs sold. of tesla Although the price of the car was high, ranging from 263,500 yuan to 313,500 yuan, it still could not maintain its top sales position. lee autoi6 SUV and Xiaomi’s SU7 sedan.
3. BYD barely cracks the top 5
According to Autohome’s data from February to July, 3 out of the 10 best-selling cars were made by BYD. However, the most popular vehicle – the affordable Yuan UP SUV – remained in fifth place with approximately 97,700 units sold. In 6th place was BYD’s off-road brand Ti 7, followed by the company’s SUV Sealion 06.
China’s auto giant reported that passenger car sales fell by more than 10% in the first half of this year.
4. VW will stick
The German automaker was the only traditional foreign car company in the top 10. The compact gasoline-powered Lavida came in ninth place, sandwiched between Leap Motor’s A10 electric SUV and Geely’s gasoline-powered Boyue L SUV.
5. Electricity rules
New energy vehicles, including battery and hybrid vehicles, accounted for 65.1% of new passenger cars sold in July, up from 54% a year earlier, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association released on Tuesday.
However, the category’s annual sales through July were still down 12.5% as overall passenger vehicle sales fell 20.3%, according to industry data.
