According to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, the total vehicle sales in January to September 2025 reached 24.36 million units, marking a 12.9% year-on-year increase. Of this, vehicle exports grew by 14.8%, reaching 4.95 million units. Exports of traditional fuel vehicles declined by 5.6%, totaling 3.19 million units, while new energy vehicle (NEV) exports surged by 89.4%, reaching 1.76 million units.
Based on the list released by Yiche, Chery took the top spot for the first nine months of this year with 928,400 units sold, a 12.3% year-on-year increase. Chery’s continued dominance in exports is no surprise, as it has long been a leader in this area. In fact, exports have become a significant new growth driver for the company. As a veteran in China’s automotive export industry, Chery has cultivated a strong presence in overseas markets, establishing a comprehensive sales network and production bases. Several of its models have entered markets such as Spain, Italy, and the UK, where they are well-received by local consumers.
Among the specific models, Chery had six models in the top 20 by export volume in the first nine months of the year, including Tiggo 5X, Tiggo 7, Exploration 06 C-DM, Omoda, Exploration 06, and Tiggo 8. The Tiggo 5X and Tiggo 7 ranked third and fourth with export sales of 131,100 and 114,000 units, respectively. Other models, including Exploration 06 C-DM, Omoda, Exploration 06, and Tiggo 8, also made it to the top 20 with cumulative export volumes of 72,600, 65,700, 64,400, and 54,800 units respectively.
BYD followed closely behind, with 670,300 units exported in the first nine months, a 125.0% year-on-year increase, the second-largest increase among the top ten companies, only behind Dongfeng Motor. Among BYD’s top performers, the Song PLUS topped the list with 181,700 units exported. The Seagull exported 106,700 units, ranking fifth on the list, and the Sea Lion 07 EV exported 78,500 units, ranking eighth. Additionally, the Yuan PLUS made its way into 17th place with 54,700 units. Currently, BYD is aggressively advancing local production and self-operated shipping, effectively countering high tariff barriers in regions such as Europe and the U.S., and further enhancing its competitiveness in overseas markets.
SAIC Passenger Vehicles ranked third with 350,800 units exported, though this represented a 7.2% year-on-year decline. The primary brand for exports is MG, which, despite the decline, continues to perform well in markets like Europe, Southeast Asia, and India. Among the top models, the MG ZS and MG MG3 exported 142,400 units and 74,000 units, respectively.
Geely Auto and Great Wall Motors ranked fourth and fifth with 294,900 units and 288,100 units exported, showing a slight decline for Geely (down 0.4%) and a modest increase for Great Wall (up 0.5%). Outside the top five, companies like Changan Auto, SAIC-GM-Wuling, Tesla China, Jiangsu Yueda Kia, and Dongfeng Motor made it into the top ten, with exports of 231,500 units, 176,100 units, 173,700 units, 128,000 units, and 90,000 units, respectively. Tesla China, despite being a globally renowned NEV brand, saw a 19.4% year-on-year decline in exports, with the Model 3 and Model Y accounting for 87,800 and 85,800 units exported, respectively. This decline could be attributed to intensified competition in the Chinese NEV market and changes in overseas policies. In contrast, Dongfeng Motor showed a remarkable increase, with a 145.1% year-on-year growth, the highest among the top ten Chinese manufacturers.
The rankings clearly show that China’s domestic brands have gained a strong foothold in export markets. Excluding Tesla and Yueda Kia, all the top ten companies are domestic brands, with Chery and BYD leading the pack in exports. Outside the top ten, while most manufacturers have smaller market shares, several companies have seen significant growth, emerging as new performance growth points. For instance, Leap Motor experienced a 2627.2% year-on-year growth, XPeng Motors grew by 125.2%, and Beijing Hyundai increased by 101.5%.
Overall, as domestic market competition becomes increasingly fierce, more Chinese automakers are expanding overseas, with companies like Great Wall, BYD, Changan, SAIC, and Chery accelerating investments in overseas production facilities. Industry experts believe that more companies will join the export ranks, and more Chinese-made vehicles will make their way to global markets.
