Chinese Automakers Surge Globally, BYD Tops EV Sales

The 2025 global automaker sales rankings have been released, with Chinese brands delivering standout performances. BYD achieved annual sales of 4.602 million vehicles, surpassing Tesla for the first time to become the world’s top-selling pure electric vehicle (BEV) brand. Of this total, overseas sales reached 1.05 million units, a year-on-year surge of 145%. SAIC Motor and Geely Holding also entered the global top ten, outpacing Ford and Honda with sales of 1.071 million units and strong growth momentum, respectively. China’s total automobile production and sales reached 34.531 million and 34.4 million units in 2025, maintaining its position as the world’s largest automotive market for the 17th consecutive year. New energy vehicle (NEV) production and sales exceeded 16 million units, accounting for more than 50% of the country’s total new vehicle sales. In terms of exports, China shipped over 7 million vehicles abroad, including 2.615 million NEVs—an increase of 100% year-over-year. Chinese-brand passenger vehicles captured nearly 70% of the domestic market share, up by 4.3 percentage points year-on-year, underscoring their continuously strengthening global competitiveness.