BYD remained China’s largest new energy vehicle (NEV) manufacturer in May, while Tesla returned to the country’s top 10 NEV sales rankings following a sharp recovery in retail demand, according to data released by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).
BYD recorded retail sales of 207,372 passenger NEVs in China during May, giving the company a market share of 21.8% and allowing it to maintain its position as the country’s leading NEV brand.
The automaker’s sales increased 13.9% from April, although they were 29.2% lower than the same month a year earlier.
Geely Holds Second Place
Geely Auto remained the second-largest NEV seller in China, reporting retail sales of 109,198 units in May.
The figure represented an increase of 14.2% from April but a decline of 16.3% compared with May last year. Geely captured an 11.5% share of China’s NEV market during the month.
Changan Automobile ranked third with retail sales of 62,865 NEVs and a market share of 6.6%. Its sales declined 15.0% year-on-year and slipped 2.5% from April.
Tesla Sales Rebound Strongly
Tesla returned to the top 10 NEV rankings after reporting retail sales of 47,281 vehicles in China during May.
The U.S. electric vehicle maker’s sales rose 22.5% from a year earlier and surged 82.2% from April, helping the company secure fifth place with a 5.0% market share.
The performance marked a significant recovery from April, when Tesla sold 25,956 vehicles in China and fell out of the top 10 NEV rankings after experiencing declines on both annual and monthly bases.
Nio and Li Auto Remain in Top 10
Nio ranked eighth in China’s NEV market with retail sales of 37,617 vehicles in May, accounting for a 4.0% market share.
The company recorded one of the strongest growth rates among major automakers, with sales increasing 61.9% year-on-year and 28.3% month-on-month.
Li Auto ranked tenth, delivering 33,350 vehicles during the month and capturing a 3.5% share of the market. Its sales declined 18.4% from a year earlier and slipped 2.2% from April.
BYD Leads Year-to-Date Rankings
For the January-May period, BYD remained China’s leading NEV brand with retail sales of 766,401 units and a market share of 20.7%.
Geely ranked second with sales of 470,396 vehicles and a 12.7% share of the market.
Tesla placed sixth in the year-to-date NEV rankings with 186,035 vehicles sold, representing a 5.0% market share. Nio ranked tenth with sales of 150,123 vehicles and a 4.1% share.
Competition Extends Beyond the NEV Segment
In the broader passenger vehicle market, which includes both new energy vehicles and traditional internal combustion engine models, BYD ranked first in May with a 13.7% market share.
Geely followed in second place with sales of 169,344 vehicles and an 11.2% share, while Changan ranked third with 92,322 units sold and a 6.1% share.
Tesla also entered the top 10 overall passenger vehicle rankings, finishing tenth with a market share of 3.1%.
For the first five months of the year, Geely led China’s overall passenger vehicle market with sales of 848,116 units, followed by BYD with 766,401 units. FAW-Volkswagen ranked third with 476,982 units sold.
BYD’s sales consist entirely of new energy vehicles, including battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), while Tesla exclusively sells battery-electric models. Geely and Changan continue to market both conventional fuel-powered vehicles and NEVs.
