September sales reports from China's carmakers show a market split into two distinct battles: a knife-fight among new EV brands in the 30,000-40,000 unit range, and a separate race for export supremacy that is increasingly deciding annual rankings.
Leapmotor led the new forces with 105,656 global deliveries in September, up 59% year-on-year and the third consecutive month above the 100,000 mark. It is the first new-brand player to cement that volume, a threshold that matters for supply-chain bargaining power and cost amortization, according to a report from Phoenix Finance carried by Huxiu.
Behind Leapmotor, the pack is tightly bunched: Xpeng delivered 41,256 units, Xiaomi topped 40,000, Harmony Intelligent Mobility (Huawei's auto alliance) sold 37,490, Nio 37,408, and Zeekr 37,216. The gap between first and last is only a few thousand units, with several hundred separating adjacent ranks. Product positioning, range and driver-assistance features are nearly identical, making it a brutal head-to-head contest.
Li Auto, once the clear leader among new forces, delivered 31,817 units in September, slipping to the edge of the 30,000 tier. Smaller players Arcfox (21,518 units, up 33.87%), Voyah (13,025) and Huajing (7,416) also reported gains.
Traditional giants hold steady
Established automakers showed steadier momentum. BYD sold 463,600 new-energy vehicles in September, leading the industry, with 273,100 BEVs (battery-electric vehicles, up 33%) and 183,600 PHEVs (plug-in hybrids). Geely's total sales hit a 2025 high of 292,000 units, with new-energy vehicles accounting for over 65%. Zeekr, Geely's premium EV brand, delivered 37,216 units, more than double year-on-year and the group's key growth engine.
Chery sold 292,300 vehicles in September, including 133,300 new-energy units, marking six consecutive months above 100,000. Changan's Qiyuan brand delivered 46,507 units and surpassed one million cumulative sales, while Deepal delivered 30,185. GAC Aion sold 35,494 units, up 21.91% and its seventh straight month of growth. SAIC-GM-Wuling delivered 132,045 units, leaning on value pricing. Among joint ventures, Dongfeng Honda sold 17,932 units in September, up 19% month-on-month, slowly finding its footing in the EV transition.
Exports become the deciding variable
Exports are no longer a bonus but a core variable in annual rankings. Chery exported 207,800 vehicles in September, up 51% year-on-year and the second time this year it has surpassed 200,000 in a single month, setting a record for Chinese passenger-car monthly exports. Its cumulative exports of 1.55 million in the first three quarters have already exceeded last year's total. For Chery, exports are now a growth pole on par with domestic sales.
BYD followed with 180,700 exports in September, maintaining high volume. As one of the first Chinese new-energy brands to scale overseas, it has built complete sales and service networks in Southeast Asia, Latin America and Europe. Exports not only add volume but also absorb domestic capacity and hedge against single-market volatility.
Leapmotor exported over 27,000 units in September and hit its full-year export target by the end of the third quarter, mirroring its domestic value-for-money strategy. Overseas markets have become a genuine second growth curve and a key support for its 100,000-unit monthly volume. Xpeng and Nio are also accelerating into Europe and Southeast Asia, opening stores and delivery centers, though monthly volumes remain small. Traditional players like SAIC, Geely and Changan are pushing new-energy exports through established overseas channels.
Most Chinese carmakers still rely on cost competitiveness abroad, with brand premium yet to be built. Currency fluctuations, trade barriers and certification hurdles remain risks, and after-sales networks and brand recognition take time. As domestic competition intensifies, overseas markets have become a battlefield every major player must win. Those who build brand awareness and achieve scale delivery abroad first will gain the upper hand in the next round, the report concluded.
