The global automotive industry rankings for 2025 have been finalised following Stellantis Group’s financial report release on February 26th, with three Chinese automakers making it into the top ten.
Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai Motor, and General Motors maintained their positions in the top four spots. Stellantis Group secured fifth place with sales exceeding 5.4 million units, bolstered by an 11% year-on-year increase in the second half of the year. Three Chinese automakers—BYD, SAIC, and Geely Holdings—all improved their rankings, while Nissan dropped out of the top ten.
BYD demonstrated resilience despite experiencing temporary sales fluctuations, climbing to sixth place with annual sales of 4.602 million vehicles. Of this total, pure electric vehicle sales reached 2.2567 million units, marking a 27.86% year-on-year increase and surpassing Tesla to become the global leader in electric vehicle sales for the first time.
| 2025 Rank | Change vs 2024 | Company | 2025 Sales | 2024 Sales | YoY | Major Brands |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | Toyota | 11.32 | 10.82 | 4.65% | Toyota, Lexus, Hino, Daihatsu |
| 2 | — | Volkswagen | 8.98 | 9.03 | -0.51% | Porsche, Audi, Volkswagen, Škoda, etc. |
| 3 | — | Hyundai | 7.27 | 7.23 | 0.60% | Hyundai, Kia, Genesis |
| 4 | — | GM | 6.18 | 6.00 | 3.03% | Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac |
| 5 | — | Stellantis | 5.48 | 5.42 | 1.27% | Peugeot, Jeep, Fiat, Citroën, etc. |
| 6 | +1 | BYD | 4.60 | 4.27 | 7.72% | BYD, Denza, Yangwang, Fang Cheng Bao |
| 7 | — | SAIC | 4.51 | 4.01 | 12.33% | Roewe, MG, IM Motors, Wuling (JV) |
| 8 | -2 | Ford | 4.40 | 4.47 | -1.68% | Ford, Lincoln |
| 9 | +2 | Geely | 4.12 | 3.27 | 26.03% | Geely, Volvo, Zeekr, Lynk & Co, etc. |
| 10 | -1 | Honda | 3.52 | 3.81 | -7.53% | Honda, Acura |
According to Chinese media CLS, government support has been instrumental in Chinese automakers’ success. According to the Ministry of Finance statistics, China’s trade-in programs generated over 2.6 trillion yuan (380 billion USD) in sales in 2025, benefiting approximately 360 million consumers. Vehicle trade-ins exceeded 11.5 million units, with new energy vehicles accounting for nearly 60% of these replacements.
China’s rapidly strengthening position in both domestic and international markets has been a primary factor in the ranking changes. “China’s global market share rose to 40% in November and maintained a healthy 37% in December 2025. For the full year, China’s automotive market share reached 35.6% globally, an increase of 1.4 percentage points from 34.2% in 2024,” stated Cui Dongshu to CLS, Secretary-General of the China Passenger Car Association.
SAIC and Geely surpassed Ford and Honda in the rankings, with Geely achieving growth for five consecutive years and exceeding 4 million units annually for the first time.
Chinese automakers have made progress in overseas markets as well. BYD’s overseas sales reached 1.05 million vehicles, a 145% year-on-year increase, while SAIC sold 1.071 million units internationally, up 3.1% from the previous year.
According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, China produced 34.531 million and sold 34.4 million vehicles in 2025, representing year-on-year increases of 10.4% and 9.4% respectively. These figures not only set new historical records but also maintained China’s position as the world’s largest automotive market for the 17th consecutive year.
New energy vehicle production and sales exceeded 16 million units, accounting for over 50% of new car sales domestically. Auto exports surpassed 7 million vehicles, making China the world’s leading exporter. New energy vehicle exports reached 2.615 million units, doubling from the previous year.
Oliver Blume, Global CEO of Volkswagen Group, who accompanied the German Chancellor during his visit to China on February 25th, emphasised: “For Volkswagen Group, Germany, and the entire European industrial sector, China represents not just a sales market but a source of innovation, a technological partner, and a major pillar in the global value creation system. In fields such as electric mobility, software, artificial intelligence, and battery technology, China is setting the pace of development at a globally leading speed and shaping industry standards.”
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