16 July 2025
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.
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 15th 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.
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%.
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 11th 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 10th, 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.
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.
