Posted on 15 May 2025
Growth in China's new-energy vehicle (NEV) sector maintained its strong momentum last month, with sales penetration continuing to climb and domestic automakers recording robust on-year gains, Mysteel Global notes.
Retail sales of passenger cars in China totaled 1.76 million units last month, marking a 14.5% on-year increase, data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) shows. Of this total, NEV sales reached 905,000 units, representing a sharp 33.9% on-year jump and accounting for 51.6% of total car sales – a significant rise from 44.6% in April 2024.
Both established and emerging Chinese automakers saw notable gains. Legacy brands like BYD, Geely Auto, and Changan Auto, alongside startups such as Li Auto, XPeng Motors, and Xiaomi, all posted increases in April deliveries.
The surge in NEV sales is underpinned by supportive government measures, including nationwide vehicle replacement initiatives, trade-in subsidies, and continued exemptions from vehicle purchase taxes, explained Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the CPCA.
BYD, China's leading NEV manufacturer, reported April sales of 380,089 units - a new high for the month and a 21.3% on-year gain. The Shenzhen-based company also continued to expand its global footprint, exporting 78,705 vehicles last month, up by a staggering 91.9% from a year earlier.
Underscoring its international ambitions, BYD launched its largest self-developed car carrier, the BYD Shenzhen, on its maiden voyage from Taicang in East China's Jiangsu province on April 27. The vessel departed with over 7,000 NEVs onboard and is expected to arrive in Brazil after about 30 days at sea. It is the company's fourth specialized NEV transport ship.
Meanwhile, Geely Auto delivered 118,813 NEVs domestically in April, a 140% surge on year. Changan Auto also saw strong performance, with 60,606 units sold, up 49.6% on year.
Among startups, Li Auto delivered 33,939 vehicles in April, up 31.6% on year, while XPeng Motors posted sales of 31,343 units, a 2.7-fold increase achieved largely thanks to the launch of its 2025 XPeng X9 MPV.
Xiaomi, China's youngest carmaker, recorded a standout performance in April, with domestic sales soaring 305% year-on-year to reach 28,585 units.
As Chinese automakers continue to showcase strong competitiveness, Tesla's performance in the Chinese market took a notable hit in April. Retail sales fell to just 28,731 units - down 8.6% on year and plunging 60% on month. The sharp decline saw Tesla only narrowly maintain its lead over rising domestic contenders such as Xiaomi and Leapmotor and brought it close to dropping out of the top ten rankings.
The slump underscores the mounting pressure Tesla faces amid the rapid rise of China's homegrown NEV industry, Mysteel Global observed.
China's top ten NEV makers in April in terms of domestic sales volume
Company | Apr 2025 | |
Sales | YoY Change | |
BYD | 268,778 | 5.8% |
Geely Auto | 118,813 | 141.7% |
Changan Auto | 60,606 | 49.6% |
SAIC-GM-Wuling | 51,828 | 61.9% |
Chery Group | 36,977 | 63.3% |
Li Auto | 33,939 | 31.6% |
XPeng Motors | 31,343 | 274.0% |
Tesla China | 28,731 | -8.6% |
Xiaomi | 28,585 | 305.0% |
Leapmotor | 28,317 | 88.7% |
Source: CPCA | ||
Source:Mysteel Global
