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Is China’s appetite for new EVs starting to wane?
Both battery-electric vehicle (BEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) markets saw volumes plummet in China during February. But what is driving these declines, and which models came out on top? Autovista24 special content editor Phil Curry explores the figures. Following a difficult January, BEV and PHEV markets in China plummeted for a second month, according to EV Volumes’ data. BEV deliveries declined by 39.2%, with 262,698 sales in the month. Meanwhile, PHEV registrations fell 40.5%, with just 169,699 units leaving showrooms. As a result, BEV sales were down by 29.7%, with 609,513 deliveries after two months of 2026. PHEV volumes suffered more, as the 390,576 tally was 37.9% down compared with the same period last year. Increased model diversity has impacted the popularity of 2025’s best-selling options so far this year. This also suggests the appetite for new EVs in China is starting to wane. Tesla leads the way in China The Tesla Model Y led China’s BEV market in February, with 25,136 sales in the month. The crossover SUV struggled in the second month of 2025, but bounced back this year, increasing 214% year on year. Tesla often prospers in the end-of-quarter months due to its reporting patterns. This result in February highlights the turbulence of the Chinese market. The Model Y accounted for 9.6% of all local BEV sales in the month, up by 7.7 percentage points (pp). Second was the Xiaomi YU7, which only began recording domestic sales in June 2025. The model was the most popular in China during January. However, its 20,086-unit tally in February was markedly down on this performance. It accounted for 7.6% of total BEV deliveries. The Li Auto I6 rounded out the top three. Another relative newcomer, it saw sales begin in September 2025. A total of 15,997 units made their way onto Chinese roads in February. China’s top three BEVs were split by an even amount of almost 5,000 units between each position. This contrasted with the dominance of the Xiaomi YU7 in January. The result suggests buyers may be looking around in a more diverse market. Last year’s leading models appear to be struggling, as the country’s market faces headwinds. Popular models struggle Tesla saw its Model 3 place in the Chinese top 10, taking fourth in the month. With 12,758 units sold, this was a 32% year-on-year slide. The US BEV was responsible for 4.9% of deliveries, and due to competitor declines, this was an increase of 0.6pp. Last year’s best-seller, the Geely Geome Xingyuan, only managed fifth in February, with its 11,906-unit total down by 58.4%. The model has seen a slower start to 2026, suggesting it may not be able to live up to its performance last year. Sixth was the Nio ES8, which saw volumes increase dramatically since September last year. Its 11,779 units marked a 2,359.1% increase compared to February 2025, while a 4.5% market share was up 4.4pp. A pair of BYDs followed, with the Dolphin seeing stable results in seventh. A total of 6,006 units represented a decline of 0.1%. In eighth was the BYD Seagull, which saw numbers plummet by 78.6%, as just 5,779 units were sold. Next came another pair of models, with the Wuling Bingo Plus seeing 5,263 sales, a 45.3% rise compared to the same point last year. Rounding out the top 10 was the Wuling Mini, the second-best-selling BEV in China last year. With 5,230 deliveries, volumes were down 76.3%. This was only good enough for a 2% market share, a drop of 3.1pp. Xiaomi proves popular February’s top three all featured in the top cumulative positions spanning the first two months of 2026. Thanks to its strong result in January, the Xiaomi YU7 led the way. With 58,010 sales, it held 9.5% of the market, a sizeable 14,802 units ahead of its nearest challenger. This was the Tesla Model Y, which started 2026 much stronger than last year. With 43,208 units, it represented 7.1% of BEV sales and ended the two-month period 10,335 deliveries ahead of third place. This position was taken by the Li Auto I6, recording 32,873 sales. It took a 5.4% share of the country’s BEV market between January and February. While these BEVs soared, both the Geely Geome Xingyuan and the Wuling Mini struggled. The Geely model took fifth after two months with 26,793 sales. Meanwhile, the Wuling Mini did not feature in the top 10, sitting 13th after two months of 2026. Fang Cheng Bao up top in China China’s PHEV market has been struggling for some time. However, while volumes were down year-on-year, there was some stability in model choice. For the second successive month, the Fang Cheng Bao Tai 7 led the way. The BYD subsidiary brand saw 11,078 units sold in February. It represented 6.5% of China’s PHEV volumes in the month. The BYD Song Pro took second, although its 9,307-unit total was 37.9% down year on year. While the domestic brand placed five models in the top 10 during the month, none of them managed to see volume increases. As a popular PHEV brand in recent years, this decline is likely contributing to the market’s struggles. Third went to the Aito M7, with the PHEV variant responsible for 3.8% of all deliveries, a 2pp rise. Its 6,479 sales were an increase of 24.5% compared to February 2025. BYD volumes plummet Both of last year’s top two models struggled in February. The BYD Qin Plus saw sales plummet 66.9% as just 5,252 units left forecourts. This was enough for a 3.1% market share, down 2.5pp. It was followed by the BYD Seal 6 with 5,159 deliveries, down 59.1%. A 3% hold of the PHEV total was down 1.4pp compared to 12 months prior. Sixth was the Zeekr 9X with 5,082 units sold, having only entered the market in September 2025. It also held a 3% market share. The Li Auto L6 was next. The medium SUV struggled in February, with its 4,746 sales down by 63.9% year on year. It claimed 2.8% of the market, a 1.8pp drop. Following it in eighth was the Wey Gaoshan. First recording sales in September 2023, its numbers started ramping up in the middle of 2025. Its 4,133-unit total was a jump of 1,105% compared to February 2025. Rounding out the table was another pair of BYD vehicles. The Song L suffered a 59.5% fall as 3,724 units were sold in the month. The BYD Qin L took 10th, with 3,603 units, a 77.8% fall in volumes. This was the biggest decline in the top 10. Close battle for PHEV models After leading the sales in both January and February, the Fang Chen Bao Tai 7 led the cumulative table. With 28,631 units delivered, it held 7.3% of the market, 10,251 units ahead of its nearest competitor. In second, after two months of 2026, was the Aito M7. It saw 18,380 units delivered in the period, taking a 4.7% market share. After a strong result in January, it slipped back towards the BYD Song Pro, which held third, but was only 423 units behind. The BYD model accounted for 17,957 units between January and February. This resulted in a 4.6% share of the market.
