Xiaomi tops China auto sales as Tesla slumps 45% in January

China’s electric vehicle race just got tighter. After years of dominance by BYD, Geely has taken the January sales crown in the world’s largest auto market. The shift comes as overall vehicle sales fell 14% year-on-year to 1.5 million units, and electric models dropped 20% after tax incentives ended.

Yet the shock was clear. Geely delivered 165,000 units, beating BYD’s 69,000. In EV-only rankings, BYD still leads with 11.5% EV market share, but Geely is close behind at 10.4%.

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EV Market Share Battle Heats Up

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) fell 17% to 348,000 units. Plug-in hybrids dropped 24%. But extended-range EVs rose 1%, helped by demand for large SUVs.

Plugin vehicles still held 39% of total market share, signaling strong long-term demand despite the slump.

Xiaomi and AITO Disrupt OEM Competition

The biggest surprise was Xiaomi. Its YU7 crossover sold 37,869 units, topping the overall ranking. The company posted 70% year-on-year growth.

AITO climbed 83% year-on-year, while NIO surged 162% thanks to its new ES8 SUV.

Tesla fell 45%.

Electric SUV Pricing Drives Shift

Premium and large electric SUVs proved resilient. Models like the NIO ES8 ($57,000) and Fang Cheng Bao Tai 7 ($25,000) performed strongly. Affordable models also drew buyers, including Geely’s Xingyuan hatchback starting at 80,000 CNY with an LFP battery.

For 2026, the battle between Geely and BYD could reshape China’s EV leadership.