Vehicle Sales Leaderboard

1. Definition and Data Sources

The Vehicle Sales Leaderboard refers to a sales ranking based on the end-user delivery figures of car manufacturers or brands over a specified statistical timeframe (typically monthly or annually). Key data sources include the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (overall industry production and sales figures), the China Passenger Car Association (narrow-definition passenger vehicle retail data), and official production and sales bulletins released by individual carmakers. The sales leaderboard serves as a vital benchmark for tracking competitive dynamics across the automotive industry, as well as gauging market trends and buyer preferences.

2. Carmaker Sales Ranking in July 2026

In July 2026, the domestic automotive market entered its traditional low season. The CPCA projected retail sales of narrow-definition passenger vehicles for the month at roughly 1.52 million units, down 16.8% year-on-year. Amid this zero-sum market environment, local Chinese marques and joint-venture brands saw continued divergence in performance. The sales ranking for leading carmakers is as follows:

Rank	Carmaker	July Total Sales ('0,000 units)	YoY Change	Key Highlights
1	BYD	41.92	+21.8%	Dominant leader by a wide margin; Dynasty/Ocean series contributed 350,000 units, while exports hit an all-time high of 179,800 units
2	SAIC Motor	33.86	+0.32%	NEV sales reached 176,700 units, though joint-venture operations remained under pressure
3	Chery Holding	27.68	+23.3%	Exported 202,500 units (a single-month record for Chinese carmakers), overtaking Geely to claim second spot
4	Geely Auto	25.02	+5.2%	NEV penetration rate hit 64%, whilst export volume surged 202% YoY to 106,700 units
5	Changan Automobile	20.71	-1.66%	Deepal and Qiyuan dual brands ramped up volume, with NEVs serving as the core growth catalyst
6	Great Wall Motor	10.81	+3.54%	Tank anchored the 4x4 off-road segment, with export share climbing to 57.4%

3. EV Start-up Landscape: Leapmotor Breaks Away as Frontrunners Diverge

In July 2026, the EV start-up scene saw a major shake-up as Leapmotor established a commanding lead with 101,300 deliveries, becoming China's first EV start-up to cross the 100,000-unit monthly milestone (up 102% YoY). The remaining mainstream start-ups clustered in the "30,000-unit bracket": HIMA (45,000 units), XPeng (38,000 units), NIO (36,000 units), Li Auto (30,500 units), and Xiaomi (over 30,000 units) formed the second tier, pointing to intensifying competition.

4. Key Competitive Trends

Current industry dynamics highlighted by the sales leaderboard focus on the following areas:

Comprehensive dominance by local Chinese marques: The top five spots in July were swept by Chinese domestic brands. Joint-venture marques continued to concede market share, squeezed by a shrinking ICE baseline and lagging EV transition efforts.
Exports emerge as a key game-changer: Driven by 202,500 export units, Chery eclipsed Geely, while BYD's overseas sales accounted for 42.8% of its total. Overseas expansion is fast becoming the decisive growth driver for leaderboard standings.
NEV penetration continues upward march: Retail penetration for NEVs was projected to reach 64.5% in July. With the ICE market entering a replacement-driven phase, the competitive strength of a carmaker's NEV line-up has become the core determinant of its ranking.