Nan Fang Du Shi Bao·2026-01-20 08:47Core Insights - The automotive market in 2025 has seen a shift in competitive dynamics, with domestic brands leveraging their electric vehicle (EV) advantages to dominate the market, significantly squeezing the space for joint venture brands [1][3] - The focus of competition is evolving from mere sales and electrification to intelligence, globalization, and high-quality growth [1] - BYD remains the market leader, but its domestic retail sales have declined, while its international sales have surged, maintaining a significant lead overall [1][7] Sales Performance - In 2025, total vehicle sales reached 23.744 million units, a year-on-year increase of 3.8%, with new energy vehicles (NEVs) accounting for 12.809 million units, up 17.6% [3] - The sales breakdown shows that sedan sales were 10.809 million units (up 3.1%), SUV sales were 11.878 million units (up 5%), and MPV sales were 1.058 million units (down 2.3%) [3] - BYD's retail sales were 3.485 million units, down 6.3%, while its wholesale sales reached 4.545 million units, up 6.9%, with exports exceeding 1 million units, doubling from the previous year [7][8] Competitive Landscape - The top ten automotive manufacturers in terms of sales include BYD, Geely, Chery, and Changan, with Geely showing the most significant growth at 39% [8][10] - Geely's retail sales reached 1.688 million units, marking an 81.3% increase, making it the only other company besides BYD to exceed 1 million units in NEV sales [9][10] - Tesla has fallen out of the top three in NEV sales, ranking fifth, with a 4.8% decline in domestic sales [11][13] Export Growth - In 2025, automotive exports reached 7.098 million units, a 21.1% increase, with passenger car exports at 6.038 million units, up 21.9% [16] - BYD led the industry with 1.05 million units of NEV exports, while SAIC Group followed with 950,000 units, maintaining a strong presence in ASEAN and South American markets [16][15] - Geely's exports doubled to 420,000 units, showcasing significant growth in Southeast Asia [16]