The EV brands’ registrations in China mostly topped up in the second week of May, with several exceptions. Nio was up 18%, Xpeng 53%, Tesla 80% and BYD 28% compared with the week before.
Onvo registered 1,200 units and ifrefly 400 units. Together, Nio Group registered 4,700 units, up 8.5% compared with the previous week.
Key events to watch:
- Huawei’s Aito is on the rise. Just 10 weeks ago, it sold 3,200 EVs weekly – last week, it hit 10k, outselling rivals Leapmotor and Li Auto
- Stelantis’s backed Leapmotor is still holding above Li Auto, which is not common
- Nio’s main brand ended three weeks of consecutive decline
- Nio’s new brands are struggling. The new brand Firefly is down 20% WoW – too early to say it is a demand problem, might be production issues as deliveries started in April, but that is something to watch.
- Onvo declined/is flat for the sixth consecutive week in a row
- Geely’s Zeekr is also struggling with a 22% down YoY and flat from last week. China’s EV market shows how brutal it is
- Tesla hit its highest sales in the last ten weeks
The weekly sales were published by Li Auto. However, Li Auto ceased publishing them in March 2025 after the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) “recommended” that Li Auto, media and any third parties end it. CAAM says weekly data “undermines the industry order” and “fuels vicious competition.” Since then, Li Auto has published only its own weekly EV registration.
The weekly data are used by consultants, analysts, or investors to see the sales trend and forecast monthly deliveries. They show how many cars were registered for road traffic, which can be later compared with automakers’ self-reported monthly sales, which, unlike registrations, include cars for showrooms, test cars, and other uses.
Most of China’s media have followed CAAM’s recommendation to stop publishing weekly figures. CarNewsChina continues to publish weekly insurance registrations, based on China EV DataTracker data.
The numbers are rounded and present new energy vehicle (NEV) sales, the Chinese term for BEVs, PHEVs, and EREVs (range extenders). To be completely precise, it also includes hydrogen vehicles (FCEVs), but their sales are almost non-existent in China.
Week 24 of 2025 (W24) was between June 9 and 15.
BYD registered 70,300 vehicles, up 28.2% from 54,850 units the week before, and rose 22.90% from 57,200 units in the same week last year. In the first two weeks of May, BYD registered 184,950 vehicles in China.
Fang Cheng Bao registered 4,100 vehicles, down 8.7% from 4,490 units the week before. In the first two weeks of May, Fang Cheng Bao registered 12,190 vehicles in China.
Denza registered 2,800 vehicles, up 21.7% from 2,300 units the week before, and rose 40.00% from 2,000 units in the same week last year. In the first two weeks of May, Denza registered 8,300 vehicles in China.
In May, BYD Group sold 382,476 vehicles, up 15.3% from the same month last year.
Tesla registered 15,500 vehicles, up 79.4% from 8,640 units the week before, and rose 32.48% from 11,700 units in the same week last year. In the first two weeks of May, Tesla registered 37,180 vehicles in China.
Aito registered 10,000 vehicles, up 13.8% from 8,790 units the week before, and rose 7.53% from 9,300 units in the same week last year. In the first two weeks of May, Aito registered 28,990 vehicles in China.
Stellantis-backed Leapmotor registered 8,790 vehicles, nearly flat from 8,800 units the week before, and jumped 158.53% from 3,400 units in the same week last year. In the first two weeks of May, Leapmotor registered 25,990 vehicles in China.
In May, Leapmotor delivered record-breaking 45,067 cars, surpassing its previous all-time high from December 2024. The May deliveries are up 148% from the same month last year.
Li Auto registered 7,870 vehicles, down 4.8% from 8,270 units the week before, and fell 25.05% from 10,500 units in the same week last year. In the first two weeks of May, Li Auto registered 28,140 vehicles in China.
Xpeng registered 6,390 vehicles, up 52.5% from 4,190 units the week before, and soared 204.29% from 2,100 units in the same week last year. In the first two weeks of May, Xpeng registered 17,880 vehicles in China.
VW-backed Xpeng delivered 33,525 cars in May, the seventh consecutive month exceeding the 30,000 threshold. It also represents 230% growth from May 2024, when it delivered 10,146 units.
Xiaomi registered 5,560 vehicles, up 27.2% from 4,370 units the week before, and rose 122.40% from 2,500 units in the same week last year. In the first two weeks of May, Xiaomi registered 17,730 vehicles in China.
Deepal registered 4,960 vehicles, up 27.8% from 3,880 units the week before, and rose 60.00% from 3,100 units in the same week last year. In the first two weeks of May, Deepal registered 14,140 vehicles in China.
Zeekr registered 3,190 vehicles, nearly flat from 3,200 units the week before, and fell 22.20% from 4,100 units in the same week last year. In the first two weeks of May, Zeekr registered 10,490 vehicles in China.
Nio registered 3,100 vehicles, up 17.9% from 2,630 units the week before, but down 8.82% from 3,400 units in the same week last year. In the first two weeks of May, Nio registered 8,730 vehicles in China.
Onvo registered 1,200 vehicles, unchanged from the week before. In the first two weeks of May, Onvo registered 3,800 vehicles in China.
Firefly registered 400 vehicles, down 20.0% from 500 units the week before. In the first two weeks of May, Firefly registered 1,900 vehicles in China.
Nio Group delivered 4,700 cars in week 24, up 8.5% from 4,330 units the week before. In the first two weeks of May, the company delivered 14,430 EVs.
Nio Group delivered 23,231 cars in May, up 13% from 20,544 units in the same month last year. However the Nio brand delivered 13,270 EVs, down 35.4% year-on-year.
Avatr registered 2,400 vehicles, up 37.9% from 1,740 units the week before. In the first two weeks of May, Avatr registered 6,540 vehicles in China.
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China EV registrations in week 23: Nio 2,630, Xiaomi 4,370, Tesla 8,640, BYD 54,850
China EV registrations in week 22: Nio 3,000, Xiaomi 7,800, Tesla 13,040, BYD 59,800
China EV registrations in week 21: Nio 3,840, Xpeng 5,700, Tesla 10,970, BYD 53,320
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