Draft guidelines on pricing, frameworks, and compliance may reshape Chinese automotive industry; BYD and other automakers publicly commits to alignment.
EVs are driving the next generation of mobility globally, and the momentum behind electric vehicles has never been stronger. According to the IEA, EVs reduced oil demand by more than 1.3 million barrels per day in 2024, with that displacement increasing by ~30% year-on-year. And no group has contributed more to that surge than Chinese EV makers.
In just a few years, several Chinese brands have leapfrogged long-established Western automakers due to their aggressive innovation cycles and affordability. Take BYD, for example. It has surpassed Tesla in global pure electric vehicle (BEV) sales for much of 2025.
But itβs not just BYD. China has more than a dozen prominent EV brands that are competing fiercely in the global EV market. So if youβre trying to get a sense of which Chinese EV brands actually matter right now, here are the top five you should know.
BYD
Letβs start with BYD, because thereβs really no way around it. The company started its business in 1995 as a manufacturer of rechargeable batteries, but is now among the worldβs top EV makers that rivals Tesla in sheer volume.
But what makes BYD interesting isnβt the sales figures. Plenty of companies can chase that number. Itβs how BYD got to the point where it is now.Β
BYD Seagull
The company builds almost everything in-house, from its now-famous Blade Battery to its own chips and even large parts of its software stack. Itβs one of the few automakers that can legitimately claim control over most of its supply chain.
That level of vertical integration allows BYD to produce EVs at prices that often feel almost impossible by Western standards, while still maintaining healthy margins.
Its lineup is also massive, spanning tiny city cars, sleek electric sedans, and premium SUVs. Apart from China, the company is rapidly expanding across Europe, Asia, South America, and even Australia.
Geely
Geely is another Chinese brand thatβs making rounds in the EV space. And unlike BYD, it uses a more segmented strategy to sell its cars.
Geely manufactures and sells its vehicles under different sub-brands: Zeekr for premium and tech-focused buyers, Geometry for affordable EVs, and several others that sit in between. This approach lets Geely target almost every pricing tier without confusing buyers about what each badge stands for.
And because Geely owns stakes in Volvo, Polestar, and even parts of Mercedes-Benzβs parent company, it benefits from deep experience in global markets.Β
In 2024, Geely achieved a 2.7% market share in the global market, ranking 6th overall, ahead of Volkswagen.
NIO
NIO is one of the more interesting car manufacturers to come from China. It technically sells electric SUVs and sedans, but for NIO, the real selling point is the experience it offers.
For instance,Β all NIO cars are designed with battery swapping (Power Swap) technology as a core feature. And if you guessed it, yes, a driver can simply exchange a depleted battery for a fully charged one in minutes.Β
As of late 2025, NIOβs battery swap infrastructure boasts over 3,400 stations in China, 59 stations in Europe, and 1 in the UAE.Β
NIO cars also come with NOMI, the worldβs first in-vehicle AI assistant. NOMI can learn driver habits, engage in natural conversation, and execute multiple commands simultaneously.
Likewise, NIO Life is a lifestyle brand offering over 1,000 products, from sustainable fashion to home goods, used by over 50% of its customer base. Not to forget, NIO also has a smartphone line with its second model (NIO Phone 2) launched in 2024.
NIO crossed over 30,000 deliveries in a single month for the first time in late 2024. In 2025, it expanded its EV offerings with sub-brands like ONVO (family-friendly SUVs) and Firefly (small city EVs).
XPeng
Like NIO, XPeng is one of the newer players in Chinaβs EV scene, doing business since 2014. Its first product was the G3 SUV in 2018, which was soon followed by the P7 electric sedan in 2019.Β
What sets XPeng apart is the companyβs fixation on pushing AI deeper into mobility. Alongside its growing lineup of cars, XPeng has been building out an entire tech ecosystem, including what it calls the first AI-integrated operating system for vehicles, the AI Tianji System (XOS 5.1.0).
The company has also rolled out a full suite of AI-driven intelligent driving models β XNet, XPlanner, and XBrain β plus the worldβs first 40-core chip designed for AI-defined cars, robots, and even flying vehicles, known as XPeng Turing.
One of XPengβs recent breakout hits is the Mona M03, an electric sedan packed with smart-driving tech that starts at just $17,000 in China.Β
Li AutoΒ
Li Auto is a bit of an odd one on this list, but in a good way. While most of the others here lean heavily into pure battery EVs, Li Auto is better known for its range-extender EVs. These are essentially electric cars with a small gasoline engine that charges the battery when needed.
Purists might roll their eyes, but buyers love them, especially in areas where charging infrastructure still isnβt great. And the sales numbers speak for themselves.
Li Auto delivered over 500,000 vehicles in 2024, a jump from 376,030 in 2023. But the growth is more significant this year as its cumulative deliveries reached 1.4 million units by September 2025.Β
Not everyone is ready to jump fully into EV life, and plenty of places still donβt have the charging infrastructure to make it practical. And Li Auto is targeting that demographic.Β
Instead of pushing buyers into something that doesnβt suit their daily needs, it offers a middle ground. Once charging becomes as easy as filling a tank, Li Auto will likely pivot harder into pure EVs, but for now, itβs playing a smart, practical game.
The GWM Poer is the 2nd best-selling vehicle in Ecuador in November.
New vehicle sales in Ecuador continue to surge in November at +46.3% year-on-year to 11,810 units, leading to a year-to-date tally up 13% to 112,550. Kia (+36%) significantly widens the gap with Chevrolet (-6.1%), once again in deep trouble, to 15.6% share vs. 11.2%. Hyundai (+104.3%) and GWM (+140.4%) both shoot up, up one and two spots on October respectively. JAC (+83.3%), Chery (+69.5%) and Renault (+61.9%) also beat the market below but itβs BYD (+215.9%) that delivers the biggest year-on-year gain in the Top 10. Notice also Jetour up 161.2% to #15.
Model-wise, the Kia Soluto remains in first place while the GWM Poer climbs to #2, becoming the countryβs best-selling pickup above the Chevrolet D-Max which used to be the uncontested leader here. The Chevrolet Groove follows, ahead of three Kias: the Sonet, Seltos and Sportage.
The BYD Atto 1 confirms its status of instant best-seller in Indonesia.
New vehicle wholesales in Indonesia have stabilised in November at -0.1% year-on-year toΒ 74,252. Due to a mediocre start of the year, the year-to-date tally remains in frank negative at -9.5% to 710,084. Retail sales for their part are actually up 4.3% toΒ 79,310 for the month but down -8.3% to 739,977 year-to-date.
Toyota (-19.8%) is in deep trouble but still manages a 29.1% market share vs. 31.5% so far this year. Daihatsu (+16.5%) posts a very strong result but is down one percentage point on its YTD share at 15.7% vs. 16.7%. After reaching a record 14.3% share last month, BYD (+233.6%) is down slightly to a still tremendous 12.8% due to one single model as weβll see further down. The Chinese carmaker more tham triples its sales year-on-year. Isuzu (+25.3%), Mitsubishi (+22.3%), Suzuki (+8.9%) and Mitsubishi Fuso (+5.4%) are also strong below whereas Honda (-63.9%) collapses. Retail-wise, Toyota (-6.2%) contains its loss ahead of Daihatsu (+5.3%), BYD (+191%) and Mitsubishi (+15%).
Over in the wholesales models charts, the new BYD Atto 1 (aka Seagull or Dolphin Mini/Surf) confirms its spectacular arrival in the Indonesian market with a second straight win at above 10% share, this time 11.2%. This is a really momentous event and by far the most successful launch in the country ever. Leader year-to-date, the Toyota Kijang Innova (-24.3%) is back up one spot on October to #2, bypassing the Daihatsu Gran Max Pikap (+9.3%). The Toyota Avanza (-34.4%) is in difficulty at #4 while the Suzuki Carry Pikap (+31.4%) rounds out the Top 5 like last month. Strong runs by the Daihatsu Gran Max Minibus (+946.6%), Toyota Raize (+56.9%) and Rush (+20.7%).
The South Korean new car market edges down -1.1% year-on-year in November to 145,936 units. Local carmakers pull the market down at -5.8% to 116,588 whereas foreigners jump +23.4% to 29,348. Year-to-date figures are up 2.8% to 1,531,044 including 1,252,508 locals (+0.2%) and 278,536 foreigners (+16.2%). Hyundai (-5.1%) retains the brands pole position with 33.9% share above sister brand Kia (-0.6%) at 32.8%. Genesis (+4.7%) is back above 10,000 monthly sales for the first time since last June, distancing Tesla (+110.9%), BMW (-2.1%) and Mercedes (+20.7%). Renault Korea (-51%) collapses year-on-year while Volvo (+10.6%) is solid at #9. Newcomer BYD breaks into the Top 10 for the first time at #10 with 0.8% share.
Looking at domestic models, the Kia Sorento (-3.7%) manages a 13th win in the past 15 months and is way above the competition this month. The Kia Sportage (+62.2%) takes the second spot ahead of the Hyundai Grandeur (+28.8%). The Hyundai Sonata (-11.4%) follows, distancing the Hyundai Avante (+0.1%) and Tucson (-3.6%). The Hyundai Palisade (+124.5%) continues to benefit from its new generation at #8 overall.
Over in the foreign models ranking, the Tesla Model Y (+102.8%) surges ahead year-on-year to dominate the charts head and shoulders with over 6,000 sales. The Mercedes E Class (+50.3%) is also in fantastic shape at #2 ahead of the BMW 5 Series (-5.3%), in difficulty. The Tesla Model 3 (+193.6%) is back up three spots on October to #4, a ranking it also holds year-to-date. Notice also the Mercedes GLE up 256.7% and the BYD Sealion 7 up to a record 7th place.
49,027 new passenger cars found a buyer in Poland in November, a tiny -0.2% year-on-year loss. The year-to-date tally remains in frank positive however at +6.8% to 529,648. Toyota (-32.7%) collapses but stays atop the brands charts with 13.5% share vs. 15.7% so far this year. Skoda (+10.3%) is catching up, to 12% of the market vs. 10.9% over the first 11 months of the year. Volkswagen (-2.8%) is weak at #3 unlike Audi (+15.4%), BMW (+23.3%) and Mercedes (+5.6%) all very solid. Just outside the Top 10, MG (+46.8%) and Cupra (+43.6%) stand out. Chinese carmakers are up 213.6% year-on-year to 5,105 units and 10.4% share vs. 3.3% in November 2024, with BYD up 1059.4%, Jaecoo (+274.8%), Omoda (+243.4%) and BAIC (+84.8%) among the best performers. Tesla is up 98.2%.
The Skoda Octavia (+24.1%) stays above the traditional leader, the Toyota Corolla (-61.1%) for the 2nd month running while the Toyota Yaris Cross (-18.2%) rounds out the podium with 2.4% share. The VW T-Roc (-11.9%) is up five spots on last month to #4 with the Kia Sportage (-19.3%) and Hyundai Tucson (-23.1%), both struggling, in tow. The MG HS (+17.4%) is down one rank on October to #7 but delivers only the 2nd year-on-year uptick in the Top 10. The Renault Captur (-0.9%) points its bonnet at #9.
The BYD Leopard 3 is the best-selling vehicle in Ukraine in November.
Fantastic month for new light vehicle sales in Ukraine: up 45.8% year-on-year in November to 7,910 units. This is enough to tilt the year-to-date tally into positive at +0.9% to 68,121. BYD (+795.4%) lodges another stunning performance and smashes its market share record to 19.6% vs. a previous best of 14.6% reached just last month. As such BYD advances to #2 year-to-date (+260.4%). Volkswagen (+75.2%) is also in exceptional shape at #2 while Toyota (-6.9%) is weaker at #3. Skoda is up 20.4% to remain at #4 above Renault (+17.3%). Zeekr (+428%) breaks all its records to #7 with 396 sales and 5% share. These are the brandβs best performances anywhere in the world. Honda (+161.1%) and Hyundai (+80.6%) also shine in the remainder of the Top 10.
We have a new leader in the models charts: the new BYD Leopard 3 (aka Fang Cheng Bao Tai 3) is the standalone winner this month with 4.8% share and ranks #18 year-to-date with 1.3% of the market. #1 over the past two months, the VW ID.Unyx celebrates one year in market at #2 while the BYD Song Plus (+244%) is also down one spots on October to #3. This means the podium is entirely coming from China production-wise. Still by far the year-to-date best-seller, the Renault Duster (-23.7%) has to contend with 4th place like last month. The Toyota RAV4 (+43.4%) follows ahead of the Toyota Prado (+18.2%). The Zeekr 7X is up to a spectacular 7th position with 2.8% share while the BYD Sealion 6 is up 41 ranks on last month to #9.
The New Caledonian new car market is on the mend in November with sales rallying back up 59.1% year-on-year to 409. The year-to-date tally however remains in stark negative at -11.7% to 3,345 units. Toyota (-36.5%) is in complete freefall but still dominates the brands charts head and shoulders with 15.2% share. Suzuki (+7%) goes against the negative trend to climb to 2nd place ahead of Renault (-0.6%). Hyundai (+15.6%) and Ford (+5.5%) round out the Top 5 in strong fashion. At the bottom of the Top 10, Mitsubishi (+44%) and Subaru (+26.3%) impress. Further down, notice BYD (+53.2%) up to #12, Fiat (+107.7%) at #15 and BAIC (+74.1%) up to #17.
The Toyota Hilux (-42.4%) is the most popular vehicle on the archipelago but collapses year-on-year. It is followed by the Suzuki Swift (+19.9%) lodging an excellent score to #2. The Dacia Duster (-22.4%) suffers at #3 above a surging Ford Ranger (+15.2%). The Hyundai Grand i10 (+40%), Renault Kangoo (+27.4%) and Hyundai Tucson (+13.1%) also shine in the remainder of the Top 10.
BYD Seal German sales are up 4158.6% year-on-year in November.
250,671 new cars found a buyer in Germany in November, a 2.5% year-on-year lift. We remain -16.2% below the pre-pandemic levels of November 2019 (299,127). Year-to-date, the market is up 0.7% to 2,611,152, -21.4% below the of 3,323,878 units after 11 months in 2019. BEV sales surge 58.5% to 55,741 and 22.2% share vs. 14.4% in November 2024 with year-to-date volumes up 41.3% to 490,338 and 18.8% share vs. 13.4% over the same period in 2024.
Brand leader Volkswagen edges up 0.5% year-on-year to 19.1% share vs. 19.8% so afr this year, with the Top 7 unchanged on last month and YTD. Mercedes (-4%) is weak at #2 ahead of BMW (+8.5%), Skoda (+11.5%) and Audi (+9.5%) all beating the market. Opel (-2%) disappoints below where Ford (+13.7%) signs the biggest gain in the Top 10. Toyota (-17.7%) is in a rut year-on-year but at 3.4% share, it is still above its YTD level of 3%. Cupra (+24.8%) and Dacia (+9.1%) impress, as well as MG (+169.4%) further down. But the best performer is BYD (+834.1%) now above Tesla (-20.2%) year-to-date and breaking its ranking, volume and share records.
Model-wise, the podium is 100% Volkswagen but each model disappointingly drops by double-digits: the Golf is down -16.7%, the T-Roc drops -11.5% and the Tiguan is off -11.6%. In contrast the BMW X1 surges 32.6% year-on-year and is up two spots on October to #4, with 41% of its November volume coming from the iX1 BEV variant. This is the 5th Top 5 finish of the year for the X1 which now ranks #5 year-to-date. The BMW 5 Series (+4%) follows at #5 ahead of the Audi A6 (+32.6%). Outside the Top 10, the Mercedes CLA shoots up 106% year-on-year to #11, by far the nameplateβs highest ever ranking, eclipsing its previous best of #20 reached just last month. The new VW Tayron is back up to #15 and breaks its share record at 1.3%.