Topic: China

The close competition in China’s battery-electric vehicle (BEV) market may have stalled in May, but results in the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) market are bucking trends. Autovista24 special content editor Phil Curry examines the latest figures.

BEV deliveries in China reached 641,228 units in May, a 29.8% rise year on year, according to the latest data from EV Volumes.

This was the second-lowest rate of growth in the first five months of the year. However, May 2024 saw the highest volumes in that five-month period. Between January and May 2025, China’s BEV market has improved by 45.8%, with just under 2.83 million registrations.

Meanwhile, the PHEV market saw better growth, with figures up 41.6% in May to 468,202 units. This was the highest volume total in the first five months of the year, and came up against the highest delivery numbers in the same period of 2024.

This means the PHEV market in China has improved by 30.6% between January and May, with around 1.93 million units sold.

BEV performance swing

The Geely Geome Xingyuan dominated the Chinese BEV market in May. In only its ninth-month on the market, it achieved 38,715 registrations, breaking its monthly volume record for the fifth-month in a row. The result ensured a 6% market share.

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The BYD Seagull placed second in May, with 31,105 deliveries. This was a 7.3% drop year on year, giving it a 4.9% market share. This was a decline of 1.9 percentage points (pp) compared to May 2024.

The Xiaomi SU7 rounded out the top three. It recorded 28,013 units in June, equating to a 224% gain on May 2024. However, this was its second month on the market. The SU7 secured 4.4% of total registrations, an increase of 2.7pp.

Taking fourth position was the Tesla Model Y. Apart from its end-of-quarter table-topping performance in March, the BEV has struggled this year. May saw the US car’s monthly volume fall by 38.1% year on year, with 24,770 registrations. Its market share of 3.9% was 4.2pp down compared to 12 months prior.

Fifth place went to the Wuling Mini. This was the model’s worst table position this year, while the 19,017 registrations total is its lowest monthly volume since July 2024. Yet, its June result was a 15.7% increase year on year. It ended the month with a 3% market share, a drop from the city car’s 3.3% market hold recorded in May 2024.

Record results

The Geely Panda Mini ended the month in sixth, with 17,155 units registered in May. This was an increase of 106.3%, while its market share of 2.7% was a 1pp year-on-year increase.

The BEV version of the BYD Song L made its first Chinese top 10 appearance, ending the month in seventh position. This model achieved a record 16,097 registrations, marking its first time reaching a five-figure volume.

This impressive performance represents a 323.4% rise compared to May 2024, boosting its market share by 1.7 pp to 2.5%.

Eighth place went to the the Wuling Bingo, with 15,550 registrations, translating to a 12.1% improvement compared to 12 months ago. However, its 2.4% of the overall registrations total was down by 0.4pp, due to increased competition.

Tesla’s Model 3 placed ninth, with a 9.3% year-on-year drop in deliveries to 13,828 units. This was also reflected in its market share, which fell by 0.9pp to 2.2%.

Rounding out the top 10 was the BYD Dolphin with 13,547 units. As the Chinese carmaker lowers the cost of its BEV models, the strategy appears to be popular with buyers. This marked a 25.1% improvement compared to May 2024, although the model’s market share dropped by 0.1pp.

The Dolphin headed run of five consecutive BYD BEV models down to 15^th place, with just 813 units between them, highlighting the success of the price-cutting strategy.

BEV battle over?

In April, just 19 units split the top two models in China’s year-to-date BEV table, as the Wuling Mini led the way. However, with the model having a quieter month in May, its closest competitor, the Geely Geome Xingyuan, pulled clear at the top.

After five months, the model has seen 164,200 units delivered to customers, giving it a 5.8% share of total BEV registrations between January and May. Meanwhile, the Wuling Mini has fallen 19,679 units behind. It delivered 144,521 new models to customers in the year to date, translating to a 5.1% share.

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However, a stronger month than its competitor could close the competition again. After two years of Tesla domination, the Mini is fighting to regain the title of best BEV in China, having led the way in 2021 and 2022. Yet, it seems it has a fight on its hands.

Meanwhile, the BYD Seagull retained third position after five months, with 144,204 units taking to the road. This left it just 317 units behind the Wuling Mini, setting up an intriguing showdown in the top three.

Fourth place went to the Xiaomi SU7 after five months of the year, with a 4.7% market share and 132,467 registrations. Fifth was the Tesla Model Y, as its struggles left it with 126,643 deliveries between January and May.

Distance between places

The Model Y is some way ahead of the BYD Yuan Up in sixth place. Its tally of 85,243 units is 41,400 behind the Tesla. It held 3% of total registrations after five months.

In seventh was the Wuling Bingo, with 79,994 units delivered and a 2.8% market share. This was followed by the Geely Panda Mini, which jumped back into the top 10 in eighth position. It had a total of 77,778 registrations between January and May, with a 2.7% market share.

The Tesla Model 3 dropped one position, to ninth, with 75,283 deliveries, capturing 2.7% of the market after the first five months of 2025. The BYD Yuan Plus also dropped one place, rounding out the top 10 with 73,632 units and a 2.6% market share.

BYD continues PHEV domination

In the PHEV market, BYD’s domination continued. The carmaker placed six models in the top 10 during May, replicating April’s performance. However, the brand has previously held an even stronger grip on the market, featuring eight models in the PHEV top 10 during February.

Leading the charge was the BYD Song Plus, with 20,000 registrations. The model has topped China’s PHEV table each month since February, even with declining volumes year on year. This trend continued in May, with figures down 29.1%. The lower registrations meant a market share loss of 4.2pp, to just 4.3%.

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The Li Auto L6 jumped into second place in the month, thanks to 18,781 deliveries. This was the model’s highest volume of the year so far. The result also marked a 44.9% improvement over May 2024. Yet, its market share grew by just 0.1pp, to 4%.

In its 11^th month on the market, the BYD Song L took third, with 16,097 units, and a 3.4% market share. This was also the model’s best performance of the year.

The more established BYD Qin Plus ended the month in fourth place. It has lost volume year on year each month in 2025, as newer BYD models compete for sales. In May, it saw 16,000 deliveries, a 53.6% drop. Having led the market in the same month last year, its share fell by 7pp, to 3.4%.

Fifth position went to the BYD Seal 06, with 15,787 deliveries. It first entered the market in May 2024, with just 44 registrations. The PHEV also held 3.4% of the market at the end of the month.

Surprising entries

The Aito M8 placed in sixth, in only its second month on the Chinese market. The model saw a total of 14,471 deliveries, with a 3.1% market share.

Next was the BYD Song Pro, with 14,400 units taking to Chinese roads. This represented a 34.7% decline year on year, and was reflected in its market share, with a 3.6pp drop to 3.1%.

Following this was the Aito M9, with 14,000 registrations, a drop of 4.9%. The model achieved a 3.1% hold of total registrations, down from its 6.7% share recorded 12 months prior.

For the first time this year, a non-Chinese brand made the country’s PHEV top 10 chart. The Buick GL8 ended up in ninth position, with 12,388 registrations. This was a record result for the model, which only came to the market in June 2024.

It was only the first time this year, and the second time in its history, that the model posted a five-figure monthly volume. This gave it a 2.6% market share.

Closing out the table was the BYD Qin L in 10^th, with 12,234 deliveries. Like the Seal 06, the Qin L entered the market in May 2024 with a smaller volume. It recorded a 2.6% market share, up from just 0.1% last year.

Beating the trends

The BYD Song Plus has lost volume in the PHEV market in all but one month this year. However, it remains at the top of the annual table in China, with 97,400 registrations between January and May. This has given the model a 5% market share.

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In second, 13,988 units behind, was the BYD Qin Plus. The sedan has suffered volume drops in every month of 2025 so far. However, its 83,412-unit total in the five-month period has kept it ahead of the remaining competition, with a 4.3% market share.

Third went to the BYD Song Pro, up one place from April. Its 80,245-unit tally was just 3,167 units behind the Qin Plus, as it took a 4.1% hold of total PHEV registrations.

However, the Song Pro will be checking its mirrors for the model in fourth place. The Li Auto L6 jumped one position as well, but thanks to a strong performance in May, it sat just 362 units back from third place. It achieved 79,883 registrations between January and May, giving it a 4.1% market share.

This meant the BYD Qin L dropped two places to fifth, after a poorer month than its competitors. It recorded 78,296 deliveries in the five-month period, with a 4% hold of total Chinese PHEV registrations.

Maintaining places

Sixth position went to the BYD Seal 06, with 74,024 units delivered between January and May. This meant it took a 3.8% market share.

Maintaining seventh was the Galaxy Starship 07. Having started the year strongly, the model slipped back to seventh position in March, and has remained there since. Its tally of 63,451 units in the five months of 2025 left it with a 3.3% share of the PHEV total.

The BYD Song L remained in eighth place with 59,202 registrations and a 3.1% market share. Its stablemate, the BYD Han, stayed ninth, with 48,806 deliveries and a 2.5% hold of the PHEV total.

Entering the top 10 for the first time since January was the Aito M9, with 46,982 registrations. This meant it took a 2.4% market share.  

The Chinese battery-electric vehicle (BEV) market has a new leader. But just how secure is the Wuling Mini at the top of the hypercompetitive market? Autovista24 editor Tom Geggus analyses the latest data from EV Volumes.

The Wuling Mini fought its way to the top of China’s hypercompetitive and growing new BEV market in April. In total, there were 628,415 units delivered in the month, up by 53.3% year on year.

March saw a similar rate of growth, February was exceptionally strong, while January was comparatively weaker. Over the first four months of 2025, China’s BEV market grew by 50.7% to just under 2.18 million deliveries.

Meanwhile, the country’s plug-in hybrid (PHEV) market saw slightly less growth, both in April and across the year so far. In the month, deliveries increased by 32.3% to 395,359 units.

After a slower January, a spike in February, and a comparable improvement in March, China’s PHEV market expanded by 35.7% across the first four months of the year. A total of 1.46 million plug-in hybrids hit Chinese roads in the period.

Wuling Mini takes first

With year-on-year sales growth of 256.7%, the Wuling Mini went all in to take first place in April. Recording 36,337 deliveries in the month, the model made up 5.8% of all BEV sales in China. This was up from its 2.5% market share recorded in April 2024.

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However, the country’s all-electric car market is extremely competitive. While the Mini displayed exceptional growth in reaching first, only 67 units separated it from the model in second place.

The BEV in close pursuit was the Geely Geome Xingyuan. It recorded 36,270 sales in April, taking a 5.8% market share. The model is one to watch in the country, particularly considering its first deliveries took place in September 2024.

Just 0.4 percentage points (pp) away was the BYD Seagull with a 5.4% market share. The model had an 8.6% hold on the market in April 2024, equating to a drop of 3.2pp. Meanwhile, its sales fell by 3.4% to 34,005 units.

The Xiaomi SU7 came fourth, as its sales doubled to 28,585 units and its share climbed by 1pp to 4.5%. The Wuling Bingo finished fifth, experiencing even greater growth of 126.3%. This pushed its deliveries to 25,294 units, making up 4% of the market, up 1.3pp.

Tesla Model Y falls

The BYD Yuan Plus took sixth, with its sales down by 13.8% to 20,623 units. This meant it captured 3.3% of the Chinese BEV market, marking a drop of 2.5pp. 

The Tesla Model Y saw an even greater fall, down 54.7% with 19,984 sales. While this number can swing according to the brand’s quarterly delivery schedule, its share hit 3.2%. This was down by 7.6pp from April 2024, indicating a greater trend of decline for the crossover.

The Geely Panda Mini took eighth with a 2.8% share, up 0.6pp, with deliveries increasing by 94.8% to 17,831 units. With a similar rate of growth, the BYD Yuan Up finished ninth, as sales grew by 91.2%. Its 16,044 sales gave the SUV a market hold of 2.6%, up 0.6pp.

The Xpeng M03 finished in 10^th in April, after only hitting the market in August 2024. It saw 14,210 sales in the month, equating to a 2.3% market share.

Wuling Mini in close competition

The Wuling Mini has seen its sales growth increase rapidly since the start of the year. This followed an announcement at the end of 2024 that Wuling would be unveiling a four-door version of the model.

Deliveries of the BEV were up by 60.6% in January, 74.4% in February, 162.9% in March, and then 256.7% in April. Accordingly, the small BEV recorded 125,504 sales in total.

Its share trended upwards between January and April, gaining traction as the likes of the BYD Seagull slumped. It took a 5.8% hold on the market across the first four months of 2025.

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However, it was far from the only model to enjoy an increased market share. The Geely Geome Xingyuan had a strong start to 2025, claiming first in January and February. It dipped to fourth in March before springing back to second in April.

So, it took a 5.8% share across the first four months of the year, recording 125,485 sales in total. This meant it slipped from first place on the cumulative table, overtaken by the Wuling Mini.

The competitive nature of the Chinese BEV market becomes apparent when looking at the gap between first and second place. The Wuling Mini was ahead of the Geely Geome Xingyuan by just 19 units over the four-month period.

The BYD Seagull climbed to third in the year to April, with a 5.8% share and 113,099 sales recorded. The model began to see its market share dip at the very end of last year, while results have been mixed at the start of 2025. Yet with the rise of the the Wuling Mini and the Gelly Geome Xingyuan, it is facing stiff competition.

Xiaomi SU7 takes fourth

With deliveries beginning in April 2024, the Xiaomi SU7 has continued to climb the table. It took a 4.8% market share in the first four months of 2025.

Not far behind, the Tesla Model Y dropped to fifth with a 4.7% hold on the market and 101,873 sales. The US model has struggled so far this year. Despite leading the market in March, the BEV was second in January and did not place in the top 10 during February.

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The BYD Yuan Up finished sixth, posting a share of 3.3% after selling 72,196 units. The Wuling Bingo was next with 64,444 deliveries and a 3% hold on the market. The Tesla Model 3 dropped a spot from the first quarter, with 61,465 sales and a 2.8% share.

The BYD Yuan Plus climbed up to ninth from 10^th in last month’s report. It captured 2.8% of the market with 61,377 sales. While the Xpeng M03 fell to 10^th, it was only 37 units behind with 61,340 sales and a 2.8% share.

Drops in the PHEV table

The BYD Song Plus was the most popular PHEV in China in April. While it managed 19,100 sales, this was down 21.8% year on year. Its market share also dropped to 4.8% from 8.2% in April 2024.

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The BYD Qin Plus also saw its hold slip, down 6.8pp to 4.5%. This equated to 17,634 deliveries in the month, down 47.6% year on year. The Li Auto L6 came third, having seen deliveries kick off in April 2024. It recorded a market share of 4.2% with 16,755 sales.

With 14,263 units taking to China’s roads, the BYD Song Pro came fourth, down by 36.6% year on year. Accordingly, its market share hit 3.6%, down from 7.5% at the same point last year.

With its first models being delivered in May 2024 the BYD Seal 06 came fifth in April 2025. It recorded 14,024 sales and held 3.5% of the market. Sixth went to the Chery Fengyun T6 with 12,826 units moved and a market share of 3.2%.

Delivering 12,131 units, the BYD Qin L came seventh, representing 3.1% of all PHEV sales in the country. The Aito M9 finished eighth as its deliveries fell by 13.9% to 11,288 units. Compared to April 2024, its share fell by 1.5pp to 2.9%.

Reaching 11,114 sales, the Galaxy Starship 7 claimed 2.8% of China’s PHEV market. The BYD Song L took a 2.8% share as well with 11,100 sales. Both models are relatively new to the market. Deliveries of the Starship 7 started in November 2024, while the Song L first hit the road in July 2024.

BYD’s internal PHEV competition

BYD continued to command the majority of the top 10 table between January and April. Seven models came directly from the carmaker, while one was from its Denza sub-brand.

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With 77,400 sales, the BYD Song Plus took a market share of 5.3% between January and April. The model has seen its grip on the market loosen slightly since the start of 2025, nearing its closest competitor.

The BYD Qin Plus took a 4.6% share thanks to 67,412 sales, moving up to second in the table. While its cumulative hold is still behind the Song Plus, its monthly market hold is creeping closer to its sibling.

Having been knocked down to third, the BYD Qin L took a 4.5% share between January and April. This was the result of 66,062 deliveries. The model is battling its BYD stablemate, the Qin Plus, which it overtook at the end of the first quarter. Yet its lower volume of registrations in April affected its position. The BYD Song Pro also fell, taking a 4.5% share with 65,805 sales.

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The Li Auto L6 came fifth with 4.2% of the market and 61,102 deliveries. The BYD Seal 06 followed with a 4% share and 58,255 new units handed over. Behind it was the Galaxy Starship 7 with a 3.7% hold and 53,400 sales.

The BYD Song L came eighth having delivered 43,105 units, representing 2.9% of the Chinese PHEV market. The BYD Han was next, with 41,201 sales and a 2.8% share. Finally in 10^th was the Denza D9, accounting for 2.4% of the market and reaching 34,842 deliveries.

China’s battery-electric vehicle (BEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) registrations improved in January. Yet, automotive giants BYD and Tesla failed to dominate the market. Autovista24 special content editor Phil Curry examines the latest EV Volumes data.

China’s BEV and PHEV markets continued to grow in January 2024, according to figures provided by EV Volumes. While BEVs led in terms of volumes, the PHEV market once again achieved the highest growth.

Over the last few months, a concentrated effort to launch new PHEVs has seen the country’s market expand rapidly. Sales of the powertrain increased by 29.7% year on year. However, January’s 374,522 deliveries made for the lowest volume total since May 2024.

The BEV market saw volumes increase by 10.9% in January, with 423,500 units taking to the country’s roads. The gap between BEV and PHEV volumes, of 48,978, is the smallest since July 2024.

Both markets saw a shake-up in the best-selling models, with BYD and Tesla starting the year in market-leading positions. Will the brands face credible, sustained challenges across 2025, or will the competition fall back as traditional dominance emerges?

BYD loses PHEV top spot

For the first time since January 2024, BYD failed to take the top spot in the PHEV market. Instead, the win went to the Galaxy Starship 7, a model that only started hitting the roads in November 2024.

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It seems that BYD, and in particular its Song Plus, has an external challenger on its hands. The Starship 7 saw 20,328 deliveries on its way to first place, accounting for 5.4% of the market. The Song Plus finished in second, with 19,000 registrations and a 5.1% market share.

However, Galaxy’s position at the top of the PHEV chart in January may owe more to the BYD model’s poor performance. Despite leading the chart in 2024, the Song Plus saw registrations drop 29.8% year on year. January’s performance was its worst volume total since February 2024.

Although it failed to lead the PHEV chart, BYD did dominate the market, with seven models in the top 10. Taking third was the Qin L, with 16,047 deliveries in January, representing 4.3% of the market. This was the model’s worst volume month since it launched in May 2024, excluding its first month of sales.

Fourth place went to the BYD Song Pro, with 15,698 units and a 4.2% market share. This was a drop of 21.3% year on year for the model. The BYD Qin Plus ended January in fifth, with 15,000 registrations, a decline of 9% compared to the same period 12 months ago. Its 4% share of the market was down 1.7pp year on year.

A continuing presence

Continuing the run of BYD models in the PHEV chart, the Seal 06 secured sixth in January. The model recorded 14,492 deliveries in its ninth month on the market. This equated to 3.9% of total PHEV registrations in China.

Seventh went to the Li Auto L6, with 13,990 units delivered to customers. The model, which came to the Chinese market in April last year, secured 3.7% of the total volume in the month.

The Aito M9 took eighth with a 3.1% market share and 11,483 registrations, a 498.4% rise year on year. The M9 came to the market in December 2023 and was still ramping up in January of last year.

In ninth was the BYD Song L. In its seventh month on the market, it recorded 11,000 deliveries and a 2.9% share. Also taking 11,000 sales was the BYD Han, which saw a 109.7% increase year on year.

Tesla and BYD BEVs struggle

The Chinese BEV market also saw a new leader, breaking the domination of Tesla and BYD for the first time since February 2023. January’s BEV table saw a shake-up, with both major carmakers only placing one model in the top 10, and both losing volume year on year.

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The Geely Geome Xingyuan was the BEV market leader in January, with 28,146 registrations. This was the model’s best-ever volume, in only its fifth month on the market. The model secured 6.6% of China’s total BEV volume in the month.

Tesla secured second place with the Model Y. A total of 25,694 units were delivered to customers, a drop of 14.1% year on year. The model achieved a 6.1% market share, a drop of 1.7 percentage points (pp).

In third place was the Wuling Mini with 24,924 registrations. This was a jump of 60.6% year on year. With a 5.9% market share, the Mini saw a rise of 1.8pp in its hold on the market.

Taking fourth was the Xiaomi SU7, with 22,897 deliveries and a share of 5.4%. The model has been on the Chinese market since April 2024 and has proved popular. Since October 2024, registrations have reached over 20,000 units every month.

The only BYD to make the top 10 was the Seagull, which ended January in fifth. It achieved a registration total of 18,171 units, a decline of 30.6% year on year. The model achieved a market share of 4.3%, down from the 6.9% achieved in January 2024.

New players emerge

Sixth went the way of the Geely Panda Mini, taking 15,932 registrations. This was a rise of 43.6% compared to January 2024. Its market share of 3.8% was up by 0.9pp.

Xpeng’s M03 model ended January just behind the Panda Mini in seventh, with a gap of 707 units to its rival. The BEV achieved 15,225 deliveries in its fifth month on the market, slightly below its best-ever result secured in December 2024.

In its seventh month on the market, the Galaxy E5, also known as the EX5, took eighth in January. The model secured a total of 12,880 units and a 3% market share. Ninth went to the Wuling Bingo, with 12,130 registrations, up 3.3% year on year. However, its market share of 2.9% was a 0.2pp decline compared to January 2024.

Finally, the Luxeed R7 rounded out the top 10 in its second month on the market. It achieved 11,422 registrations, a share of 2.7%.

China’s EV market ended 2024 strongly, as battery-electric vehicle (BEV) registrations improved, and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) deliveries soared. But which models led their respective markets? Autovista24 special content editor Phil Curry examines the data.

The improvement in China’s PHEV market did not slow down at the end of 2024. While behind in volumes, the bridging technology’s growth highlighted a renewed focus on the powertrain, by brands and customers.

Across the 12 months, PHEV registrations grew 79.8% year on year according to the latest data from EV Volumes. A total of 4.86 million units were delivered to customers, up from 2.7 million a year prior. Meanwhile, BEV registrations achieved growth of 17.3%, as 6.34 million new models took to Chinese roads.

These totals were helped by strong performances in December. PHEVs improved by 60.6% with 576,678 registrations, equating to an improvement of 217,626 units. Meanwhile, BEVs were up 18.4% with 752,845 deliveries, representing an increase of 116,993 units.

While the BEV market is still dominant in terms of volume, the PHEV market will be the powertrain to watch in 2025.

BYD takes the top in 2024

BYD dominated the PHEV market, selling six of the top 10 models in the year. The brand locked out the top five, confirming the popularity of its varied plug-in hybrids within the growing market.

Leading the pack by some distance was the BYD Song. The model secured 594,950 registrations across the whole of 2024 and took a 12.2% market share. It was so successful that the 253,606-unit gap to second place exceeded the sales total recorded by the PHEV in third.

In second was the BYD Qin Plus, with 341,344 deliveries in 2024. This gave the model a 7% share of China’s PHEV market. The Qin L placed third, with 229,591 units over the 12-month period. This was enough for a 4.7% market share.

Continuing BYD’s domination, the Destroyer 05 took fourth. The model was close to the Qin L but ended the year with 214,282 registrations, short of third place by 15,309 deliveries. The result equated to a 4.4% market share.

Rounding out the top five was the BYD Seal 06, with 193,631 deliveries. This was a 4% market share and a gap of 20,651 to its brand sibling. BYD’s top five PHEVs achieved a combined 1.57 million registrations in 2024, with a market share of 32.4%.

Close call

BYD almost missed out on its top-five domination. The Seal 06 saw a surge in December, which meant it narrowly secured fifth. The PHEV gained one place from its year-to-date position in November, claiming its final position from the Aito M7. The BYD model was only made available in May 2024 and has done well to shoot up the table.

The Aito M7 missed out on the top half of the table by just 289 units. The M7 secured 193,342 registrations in 2024, to also hold a 4% market share. The Li Auto L6 was just 1,085 units behind in seventh. The model took 192,257 registrations and represented 4% of all deliveries.

Following in eighth place was the last BYD in the top 10, the Han. It came 13,490 units behind the Li Auto L6. The PHEV ended 2024 with a 3.7% market share and 178,767 registrations, 13,490 units behind the Li Auto L6.

Ninth went to Aito M9 with a 2.9% market share. It recorded 139,452 deliveries, 39,315 units behind the BYD Han. Finally, 10^th went to the Li Auto L7, with 134,018 registrations, just 5,434 units behind the M9. This equated to a 2.8% share of all PHEV deliveries.

Dominance in December 2024

Just as in the full-year chart, BYD dominated the top 10 PHEV table in December. While seven of its models made the list, the marque did not lock out the top half in the month.

The BYD Song led the way again, with 59,637 registrations. This was an increase of 2.9% on its December 2023 total, giving it a 10.3% market share. Despite the improvement, this share was 5.8 percentage points (pp) down compared to 2023. The model now faces increased competition from rival PHEVs.

Second went to the BYD Qin Plus, with 30,522 deliveries, a 3.6% year-on-year improvement. This equated to a market share of 5.3%, down 2.9pp compared to the same period last year. Third was the BYD Qin L, with 30,062 registrations in its eighth month on the market. It accounted for 5.2% of overall registrations in the month.

The first of three non-BYD models in December’s top 10 landed in fourth place. The Li Auto L6 secured 27,769 deliveries in the month, its ninth on the market. This gave it a 4.8% market share.

Impressive performances

Securing fifth was the BYD Seal 06 with 26,711 units registered. This performance helped it take fifth in the full-year chart. The Seal 06 held 4.6% of the market in December.

The BYD Song L ended the month in sixth, with 22,464 deliveries and a 3.9% market share. This is the model’s sixth month on the market. The BYD Han took seventh with 22,427 units. This was an 81.7% improvement year on year, with a 3.9% market share, up 0.5pp.

Eighth place went to the Galaxy Starship 7, with 19,836 registrations in just its second month on the market. This was an impressive result, and parent company Geely will be hoping to continue this success throughout 2025. The result gave the Starship 7 a share of 3.4%.

The last BYD in the top 10 was the Destroyer 05. The model took 18,329 registrations, up 120.8% compared to December 2023. This was enough for a 3.2% market share, an improvement of 0.9pp.

Finally, the Aito M9 took 10^th with 13,621 deliveries and a market share of 2.4%. The marque will be hoping to see these figures continue to improve into 2025.

Tesla in trouble?

In the BEV market, the Tesla Model Y once again took the top spot in the full-year table. Its 2024 registration tally reached 480,309. This gave the model a 7.6% market share.

However, the Tesla Model Y faced a bigger challenge across the year. In 2023, the model had a 119,904-unit lead in China. In 2024, this gap to second place shrunk to 38,124 units.

This was due to the success of the BYD Seagull. The Chinese BEV flew through the year, keeping close to, and at times outpacing, the Tesla. The US brand will be keen to see a rise in performance this year with its facelifted model.

The Seagull secured second place thanks to 442,185 registrations, a 7% market share. BYD also took third with the Yuan Plus, although this sat 168,868 units behind the top two. A total of 273,317 units were delivered to customers, a 4.3% market share, and a 168,868 gap to second.

Fourth was taken by the Wuling Mini, with 261,141 registrations, 12,176 behind the Yuan Plus. This gave the small BEV a 4.1% share of total all-electric registrations. Rounding out the top five was the Wuling Bingo, with 210,374 deliveries and a 3.3% market share.

Changing places

Tesla saw its refreshed Model 3 end the year in sixth. This was an improvement on the ninth-place finish in 2023 but will be below the expectations of the US brand. In 2024, the model achieved 176,793 registrations and a 2.8% market share.

In seventh was the BYD Dolphin, with 160,594 deliveries, representing 2.5% of all BEV sales in China. This was 16,199 units behind the Tesla Model 3, suggesting another close battle for 2025.

Eighth went to the Aion Y with 156,503 registrations, just 4,091 units behind the Dolphin. It also took a 2.5% market share. In ninth there was a position change, with the Changan Lumin overtaking the BYD Qin Plus.

The Lumin recorded 145,142 registrations in 2024. This equated to a 2.3% market share, putting it just 1,107 units ahead of the Qin Plus. The BYD model sank to the bottom of the top 10. It recorded 144,035 deliveries in 2024, taking a 2.3% market share.

Model Y takes to the top

The Tesla Model Y was the best-selling BEV in China in December. The end-of-quarter spike meant the US model secured 61,881 registrations, an increase of 3% year on year. It accounted for an 8.2% market share. However, due to increased competition, this represented a 1.2pp drop on December 2023.

The BYD Seagull achieved 48,754 deliveries, a decline of 3.5% compared to December 2023. This meant its market share fell by 1.4pp to 6.5%.

Third was taken by the Wuling Mini, with 37,747 units delivered to customers in December. This was up 50.9% compared to the same period last year, while its market share rose 1.1pp to 5%.

In fourth, the Wuling Bingo secured a strong month for the brand. The model recorded 30,757 registrations, up 12%. This gave it a 4.1% market share, down by just 0.2pp year on year.

In its ninth month on the market, the Xiaomi SU7 achieved its best-ever volume, with 25,815 deliveries in December. This was enough to take fifth position, with a 3.4% share of all BEV registrations in China.

Rounding out the month

Sixth was taken by the BYD Yuan Plus, with 23,048 registrations. This was a decline of 25.2% year on year. The model struggled as the BYD Seagull improved in popularity across the year. Its 3.1% market share was down by 1.7pp compared to December 2023.

The Tesla Model 3 took seventh with 21,046 registrations, a 33.6% rise compared to 12 months prior. Tesla benefited from a traditional end-of-quarter peak, with the sedan’s 2.8% market share improving 0.3pp. Eighth went to the BYD Yuan Up, with 18,552 deliveries in December. In the model’s 10^th month on the market, it secured a 2.5% share.

The Geely Geome Xingyuan placed ninth, with 16,491 units delivered in just its fourth month on sale. The model made up 2.2% of overall BEV deliveries. Finally, 10^th in the month went to the Luxeed R7, with 15,903 registrations in what was just the model’s second month of availability. It captured 2.1% of the market.

Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) registrations continue to improve rapidly in China, thanks to domestic carmaker BYD. Yet, battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) still lead the marketplace. Autovista24 special content editor Phil Curry examines the latest data from EV Volumes.

China’s PHEV market continued to experience strong growth in November 2024, as newer models began to gain traction in the country. However, the BEV sector continued to have the upper hand in terms of volume.

A total of 532,492 PHEVs were registered in the country during the month, according to data from EV Volumes. This was an 81.7% improvement on November 2023. This was the second-best month on record for the plug-in technology in China, following October’s result.

BEVs, meanwhile, saw registrations increase 31.9% in November, with 768,406 units taking to Chinese roads. This was a record month for the technology, which continues to be popular amongst buyers.

Across the first 11 months of the year, PHEVs have achieved phenomenal growth. The powertrain saw an increase of 80.5% against the same period in 2023, as 4.23 million units have taken to China’s roads.

Meanwhile, BEVs lead the way in the electric vehicle market. A total of 5.66 million models were registered between January and November, an improvement of 18.8%.

Seagull continues to fly in China

The BYD Seagull continued to top China’s monthly best-selling BEV chart in November. The model secured a record 56,156 registrations, a 25.9% rise compared to the same period in 2023. This meant the Seagull gained a 7.3% market share. While registrations improved, its hold of the overall BEV market declined by 0.4 percentage points (pp), due to results elsewhere.

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Taking second place was the Tesla Model Y, with 44,576 units delivered to customers in China. This was a 10.6% drop year on year, and gave the crossover a 5.8% market share, down 2.8pp. Tesla has recently launched a refreshed version of the Model Y in the Chinese market It will be hoping that the update proves popular with customers.

Despite its decline, the Model Y was still able to place ahead of the Wuling Mini, which secured third place in November. This meant the top three in the month matched results from October. The Mini took 34,777 registrations, a 51.3% rise compared to the same point a year previously. Its total meant it took 4.5% of the overall BEV market, up from 3.9% in November 2023.

Having been absent from the top 10 in October, the Tesla Model 3 bounced back in November, with 28,914 registrations securing fourth position. This was an 89.4% increase for the sedan, with a 3.8% market share. Tesla will be hoping its refreshed version will continue to gain traction.

Close run

Fifth place in November’s BEV chart went to the Wuling Bingo. The 26,808-unit tally was its best-ever result in the month, as the model improved 11.6% year-on-year. However, its 3.5% market share was down by 0.6pp compared to the same point in 2023.

Close behind was the BYD Yuan Plus. The 26,400-delivery total was only 408 units from fifth place. The model improved by 2.5% year on year, but was another to suffer a market share drop as the BEV sector becomes ever more crowded. The Yuan Plus secured 3.4% of overall registrations, down by 1pp.

In seventh position was the Xaiomi SU7, with 23,156 registrations and a 3% share of deliveries in only its eighth month on the market. Behind was the BYD Yuan UP, with 21,391 deliveries in its ninth month of availability, and a 2.8% hold.

However, the best performer in the top 10 was the Geely Genome Xingyuan. In just its third month on the market, it secured 20,038 registrations to end November in ninth position. It secured a 2.6% market share.

The model beat its stablemate, the Geely Panda Mini, which rounded out the chart in 10^th, thanks to 19,027 deliveries. This was up 25.3% year on year, with a 0.1pp drop in market share, to 2.5%.

Tesla in fight for first

Between January and November, the Tesla Model Y led China’s BEV market. However, the gap between it and the second-placed BYD Seagull narrowed. The crossover ended the month with 418,428 units and a 7.4% share of the market.

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This was just 9,433 units ahead of the Seagull, which closed in with an extra 11,580 units in November alone. In the first 11 months of 2024, the model secured 408,995 deliveries, a 7.2% hold of overall registrations.

In third, and some way back, was the BYD Yuan Plus with 252,175 units across the 11-month period, a 4.5% market share. The Wuling Mini followed with 223,394 registrations, taking 3.9% of the BEV total between January and November. Wuling also secured fifth place with its Bingo model, which totalled 179,617 units and 3.2% of the market.

Changing places

The lower half of the top 10 saw some movement, with the Tesla Model 3 jumping up two positions to sixth. The sedan’s strong result in November meant it ended the period with a cumulative total of 155,747 units, representing 2.7% of the market.

Also on the rise was the BYD Dolphin, with 146,155 units, and a 2.6% market share. Both models moved up at the expense of the Aion Y, which did not record a top 10 result in November. This meant that in the first 11 months of 2024, it secured 145,994 registrations, taking 2.6% of the BEV total.

The BYD Qin Plus remained in ninth position, growing its total to 134,802 registrations and a 2.4% market share. Filling the final position in the 11-month period was the Changan Lumin, which entered the top 10 at the expense of the Aion S. It saw 132,115 registrations in first 11 months of the year, holding 2.3% of the market.

BYD dominates PHEV market

In the PHEV market, BYD dominated, with seven out of the top 10 positions. Leading the way was the BYD Song, with 50,768 registrations in November, an increase of 4%. This gave the popular model a 9.5% share of the market. This was, however, a drop of 7.2pp, as competition in the country increased.

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Second position went to the BYD Qin L, with 33,948 registrations. The model took 6.4% of the total in its seventh month on the market.  In third place was the BYD Seal 06, just 690 units behind. In its seventh month since launch, it secured 29,465 registrations, equating to a 5.5% hold of the market.

Taking fourth place was the BYD Qin Plus, with 27,121 units. This was the first model in the top 10 that has been available for more than a year, with November’s result declining by 6.3%. As other BYD models cannibalise each other in the PHEV market, the Qin Plus saw its share drop by 4.8pp, to 5.1%.

Results tighten

The first non-BYD model in the top 10 was the Li Auto L6 in fifth place. In its eight month on the market, it secured 24,318 registrations and a 4.6% share.

The L6 was just 173 units ahead of the sixth-placed BYD Song L. The model secured another impressive result for the brand in its fourth month on the market. Its 24,145-unit tally made up 4.5% of total registrations.

Another close result occurred for the seventh and eighth positions. The BYD Han took the higher position, with 20,121 deliveries. This was a jump of 85.3% compared to November 2023, with its 3.8% market share up 0.1pp.

Just 902 units behind in eighth was the BYD Destroyer 05, with a total of 19,219 registrations. This was a jump of 252.6% year on year, with a 1.7pp rise in market share, to 3.6%.

The Aito M9 secured ninth place with 14,833 units. This was a 2.8% share of the PHEV market in the month. Rounding out the table was the Deepal S7, with 14,265 deliveries, just 618 units behind ninth. The model improved 107.6% year on year, as its market share climbed 0.4pp, to 2.7%.

BYD on Song

In the first 11 months of 2024, the BYD Song continued to lead the way. The model held a 12.2% share of the total PHEV market, as 518,426 units took to Chinese roads.

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The Song was some way ahead of the BYD Qin Plus, which ended the period in second with 300,302 units, a 7.1% market share. Rounding out the top three was the BYD Destroyer, with 208,390 deliveries. This represented 4.9% of the Chinese PHEV market.

In fourth, the BYD Qin L jumped up one position, with 199,525 units and a 4.7% market share. This came at the expense of the Aito M7, which did not place in November’s top 10. It dropped to fifth position in the annual chart, with 179,925 units, a 4.3% hold.

The BYD Seal 06 also jumped up one place to sixth. It secured a 3.9% market share with 166,920 units. This was thanks to its November performance, as it pushed the Li Auto L6 down into seventh. The model saw 164,488 registrations between January and November, also taking 3.9% of the market total.

Eighth place went to the BYD Han with 134,340 units delivered in the 11-month period, representing 3.2% of the market. It was followed by the Aito M9 with 125,831 registrations and a 3% share.

Completing the top 10 in the cumulative chart for 2024 was the Li Auto L7. The model did not feature in the November chart, but kept its place with 120,851 deliveries in the first 11 months of 2024. This equated to a 2.9% market share.