Our answer
BYD 比亚迪
No.1 at retail in 2025; still No.1 in electric cars in 2026
The short answer
BYD (比亚迪) is China’s most popular car brand. It led retail sales in 2025, ahead of Geely, FAW-Volkswagen, Changan and Chery, and still leads electric-car sales in 2026. Chinese brands now take about 70% of the market, and in September 2026 two in three new cars sold were electric or plug-in hybrid.
| Best-selling maker | BYD 比亚迪 |
|---|---|
| Runner-up | Geely 吉利 |
| Biggest foreign name | Volkswagen (FAW-VW, SAIC-VW joint ventures) |
| Electric and plug-in share | 53.9% of 2025 sales; 67% in September 2026 |
| Chinese brands’ share | 65% in 2025; 69.8% in September 2026 |
How we know
4 signals · SourcedRetail ranking
BYD topped the China Passenger Car Association’s 2025 retail ranking, followed by Geely, FAW-Volkswagen, Changan and Chery. [1]
STRONGElectric cars
BYD sold 3.48 million new-energy cars at retail in China in 2025, 27.2% of the segment, more than twice runner-up Geely. [3]
STRONG2026 so far
BYD leads new-energy retail for January–September 2026 with 21.8%, ahead of Geely (11.8%) and Leapmotor (6.5%). [4]
STRONGShift to Chinese brands
Chinese brands took 65% of retail sales in 2025, up 4.8 points, and 69.8% in September 2026. [1]
STRONGChina’s top 10 car makers by retail sales, 2025
Ranked by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), counting cars sold to buyers in China. Petrol, hybrid and electric cars combined.[1][2]
| Rank | Maker | Chinese | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BYD | 比亚迪 | Chinese brand; electric and plug-in hybrid only |
| 2 | Geely | 吉利汽车 | Chinese brand; also owns Volvo, Zeekr and Lynk & Co |
| 3 | FAW-Volkswagen | 一汽-大众 | Joint venture (Volkswagen, Audi) |
| 4 | Changan | 长安汽车 | Chinese brand |
| 5 | Chery | 奇瑞汽车 | Chinese brand |
| 6 | SAIC-Volkswagen | 上汽大众 | Joint venture (Volkswagen, Skoda) |
| 7 | SAIC-GM-Wuling | 上汽通用五菱 | Joint venture; maker of the Wuling Hongguang Mini EV |
| 8 | FAW Toyota | 一汽丰田 | Joint venture (Toyota) |
| 9 | GAC Toyota | 广汽丰田 | Joint venture (Toyota) |
| 10 | Great Wall | 长城汽车 | Chinese brand (Haval, Tank) |
CPCA ranks makers, so Volkswagen and Toyota appear twice, once per joint venture. China’s market in 2025: 23.74 million passenger cars at retail, up 3.8%.
Who sells the most electric cars in China?
New-energy vehicles (新能源汽车) are fully electric cars plus plug-in and range-extender hybrids. Retail sales in China, January–September 2026.[3][4]
| Rank | Maker | Units | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BYD 比亚迪 | 1,695,099 | 21.8% |
| 2 | Geely 吉利 | 914,115 | 11.8% |
| 3 | Leapmotor 零跑 | 506,967 | 6.5% |
| 4 | Changan 长安 | 501,180 | 6.5% |
| 5 | Tesla China 特斯拉 | 381,088 | 4.9% |
| 6 | SAIC-GM-Wuling 五菱 | 370,341 | 4.8% |
| 7 | HIMA 鸿蒙智行 (Huawei-backed brands such as AITO) | 367,229 | 4.7% |
| 8 | Nio 蔚来 | 299,376 | 3.9% |
| 9 | Li Auto 理想 | 293,436 | 3.8% |
| 10 | Chery 奇瑞 | 289,378 | 3.7% |
Xiaomi, which sold 411,837 new-energy cars in China in 2025, three times its 2024 total, is just outside this top 10.
Most new cars in China now plug in
In 2025, 12.81 million of the 23.74 million passenger cars sold at retail in China were new-energy vehicles: 53.9%, the first full year above half. In September 2026 the share reached a record 67.0%.
A long price war among dozens of Chinese brands has kept electric cars cheap, and buyers have moved with them. Chinese brands’ share of the home market rose to 65% in 2025, while foreign names lost ground: Honda’s retail sales fell 25.1%, Volkswagen’s 8.3% and Toyota’s 3.8%.[1][2][5][6][7]
The best-selling models
In 2025 the best-selling car at retail was the Wuling Hongguang Mini EV, a tiny city car, followed by the Geely Xingyuan and the BYD Qin Plus, according to a full-year count based on retail registrations. Tesla’s Model Y and BYD’s Seagull were also in the top five. Counts differ slightly between data sources, so treat the order below the top spot as approximate.[7]
Questions readers ask
What is the number one car brand in China?
BYD. It was the best-selling car maker at retail in China in 2025 and leads new-energy sales in 2026.
Is Tesla popular in China?
Yes, but less dominant than it was. Tesla China sold 625,698 cars at retail in China in 2025, fifth among new-energy makers, and is fifth again for January–September 2026 with a 4.9% share.
Are Volkswagen and Toyota still popular in China?
They are still the biggest foreign names: FAW-Volkswagen was third in 2025 and two Toyota joint ventures were in the top 10. But their sales are falling as buyers switch to Chinese electric cars.
What share of new cars in China are electric?
53.9% in 2025 and 67.0% in September 2026, counting fully electric cars plus plug-in and range-extender hybrids.
Is Xiaomi really making cars?
Yes. The phone maker’s car arm sold 411,837 new-energy cars in China in 2025, three times its 2024 total.
Sources
- Sina Finance, CPCA: 2025 passenger car retail, domestic-brand share and top 10 makers (11 January 2026, in Chinese) · accessed 25 Oct 2026
- Yicai, CPCA: 2025 retail 23.744 million, new-energy share 53.9% (9 January 2026, in Chinese) · accessed 25 Oct 2026
- CnEVPost, Automakers’ share of China’s NEV market in 2025 (12 January 2026) · accessed 25 Oct 2026
- CnEVPost, China NEV market share in September 2026 and January–September (13 October 2026) · accessed 25 Oct 2026
- Phoenix Auto, CPCA: September 2026 retail 1.618 million, new-energy share 67% (October 2026, in Chinese) · accessed 25 Oct 2026
- Huxiu / Jiemian, New-energy purchase tax halved from 2026 and the effect on small cars (27 May 2026, in Chinese) · accessed 25 Oct 2026
- Best Selling Cars Blog, China retail full year 2025 · accessed 25 Oct 2026
Update log. 25 October 2026 — reviewed. Next review due 25 November 2026. Suggest a correction