September 2025 Sales Insights for China’s New Energy Vehicles

On October 1, major Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers released their sales data for September 2025. Notably, the monthly sales figures for NIO, Xpeng Motors, Li Auto, and Leap Motor all showed a month-on-month increase. BYD reported total sales of over 396,000 electric vehicles for September, bringing its cumulative sales for the year to over 3.26 million, reflecting an 18.64% year-on-year growth. Additionally, Xiaomi Motors achieved a delivery volume exceeding 40,000 vehicles in September.

On the first day of the national holiday, numerous electric vehicle showrooms and local auto exhibitions experienced a surge in visitors. A representative from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology indicated that there would be enhancements to the purchase tax incentives for electric vehicles. Industry experts told reporters that, with the shift towards electric vehicles leading to shorter car ownership cycles, the demand for electric vehicles in China is expected to significantly increase, even with stable ownership levels.

Sales Data for Major Chinese Electric Vehicle Companies – September 2025

Leap Motor Leads New Energy Vehicle Manufacturers

BYD Sales Lag Behind 2024 Levels

NIO announced on October 1 that it delivered 34,749 vehicles in September, marking a year-on-year increase of 64.06% and maintaining a delivery volume exceeding 30,000 for two consecutive months. Of these, the NIO brand accounted for 13,728 vehicles, while the Ladao brand delivered 15,246 vehicles, and the Firefly brand saw 5,775 deliveries. The Ladao L90 has been pivotal in NIO’s resurgence, achieving 20,000 deliveries in less than two months since its launch on August 1. The newly launched ES8 model on September 20 also gained significant market traction, temporarily causing the NIO app to crash due to high traffic during its pre-order phase. The success of these new models is expected to enhance NIO’s market share in the pure electric segment.

NIO’s chairman, Li Bin, stated at a press conference that the user experience derived from pure electric technology will outweigh concerns regarding charging convenience. He also mentioned that NIO aims to increase its monthly production capacity to 40,000 units by 2025. If production capacity cannot meet delivery demands, NIO will subsidize the purchase tax reduction for buyers in 2026.

Xpeng Motors reported a remarkable 41,581 deliveries in September, representing a year-on-year growth of 95% and a month-on-month increase of 10%, achieving a historic monthly high. In the first three quarters of 2025, Xpeng has delivered a total of 313,196 vehicles, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 218%. Chairman He Xiaopeng recently shared his vision for the future of transportation, suggesting that people may live up to 100 kilometers from city centers and reach them in under ten minutes, thanks to flying vehicles. He announced that Xpeng plans to produce and deliver the world’s first “car + airplane” flying vehicle by 2026.

Li Auto’s September data revealed that the company delivered 33,951 new vehicles, a year-on-year decrease of 36.76% but a month-on-month increase of 19.01%. In Q3 2025, Li Auto’s total deliveries reached 93,211 units. On September 26, Li Auto officially launched its five-seat SUV, the Li Auto i6, priced at 249,800 yuan, with deliveries starting on September 27. Chairman Li Xiang stated that the aim is to create a five-seat pure electric SUV designed specifically for young consumers, similar to the Tesla Model Y and Xiaomi SU7.

Leap Motor’s latest data shows that it delivered 66,657 vehicles in September, a year-on-year increase of 97.4% and a month-on-month increase of 16.81%, setting a new record for monthly deliveries among new energy vehicle manufacturers in China. Leap Motor has now topped the new energy vehicle delivery rankings for seven consecutive months. In March 2025, chairman Zhu Jiangming projected that Leap Motor’s sales would reach 500,000 to 600,000 vehicles. Given the strong market performance, the target for total sales in 2025 has been raised to between 580,000 and 650,000 units, with a goal of reaching 1 million units in 2026.

On the evening of October 1, BYD announced total sales of 396,270 new energy vehicles for September, down from 419,426 in the same month of 2024. Cumulatively, BYD’s sales reached 3,260,146 vehicles, with an 18.64% year-on-year growth. Recently, Citic Lyon released a report on BYD, noting that the company has been launching new models and expressing optimism about its growth potential in overseas and high-end markets.

Xiaomi Group also announced on October 1 that its automotive division delivered over 40,000 vehicles in September. Additionally, Xiaomi Motors reported progress in expanding its retail presence, with 32 new stores opening in September, bringing the total to 402 stores across 119 cities. Plans are in place to open 22 more stores in October, targeting six new cities: Chenzhou, Dazhou, Ordos, Handan, Leshan, and Xining. As of September 30, Xiaomi Motors had 209 service points nationwide, covering 125 cities.

Optimizing Purchase Tax for New Energy Vehicles

The demand for new energy vehicles is anticipated to continue growing significantly. On the first day of the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, many electric vehicle showrooms and local auto exhibitions saw an influx of visitors. The adjustment of purchase tax policies for new energy vehicles has become a focal point of interest for market participants and consumers alike.

In a recent discussion at the 2025 World New Energy Vehicle Conference held in Haikou, Hainan, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Xiong Jijun, emphasized the need to expand market consumption further. He proposed implementing a new round of initiatives to stabilize growth in the automotive industry, optimizing purchase tax and vehicle tax incentives, promoting the deployment of new energy vehicles in rural areas, and piloting full electrification of public sector vehicles and charging facilities in counties.

The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers previously forecasted that electric vehicle sales in China would reach 16 million units in 2025, reflecting a year-on-year growth of approximately 20% and accounting for over 50% of total new vehicle sales. This marks a significant step towards the stable development phase of electric vehicle transformation.

Cui Dongshu, Secretary-General of the Passenger Car Association, shared with reporters that the future growth of the Chinese automotive market will largely hinge on new energy vehicles. He noted that the shorter ownership cycles associated with electric vehicles, along with the estimated lifespan of automotive chips and power batteries being around 10 years, differ significantly from traditional internal combustion engine vehicles. Therefore, even with stable ownership levels, the demand for new energy vehicles will substantially increase.