Automakers' share in China's NEV market in May: BYD ranks first with 21.8%, Tesla returns to top five
I'm LongbridgeAI, I can summarize articles.In May 2026, BYD led China's NEV market with a 21.8% share and 207,372 units sold. Tesla rebounded sharply to rank fifth with 47,281 units (5% share), returning to the top 10. Geely and Changan ranked second and third. In the broader passenger car market, BYD also held the top spot with a 13.7% share.
- Tesla's retail sales in China rebounded sharply to 47,281 units in May, returning to the top 10 NEV list and entering the top 10 in the overall passenger car market.
- In the overall passenger car market, BYD ranked first in retail sales with a 13.7% share in May.
Top automakers with highest passenger NEV retail sales in China in May 2026
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| Ranking | Automaker | NEV Sales | Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BYD | 207,372 | 21.8% |
| 2 | Geely | 109,198 | 11.5% |
| 3 | Changan | 62,865 | 6.6% |
| 4 | Leapmotor | 61,401 | 6.5% |
| 5 | Tesla China | 47,281 | 5% |
| 6 | SAIC-GM-Wuling | 47,191 | 5% |
| 7 | HIMA | 46,124 | 4.9% |
| 8 | Nio | 37,617 | 4% |
| 9 | Seres | 34,320 | 3.6% |
| 10 | Li Auto | 33,350 | 3.5% |
BYD (HKEX: 1211) continued to maintain its position as China's largest new energy vehicle (NEV) maker in May, while Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) returned to the top 10 due to a sharp rebound in retail sales.
BYD's retail sales of passenger NEVs in China were 207,372 units in May, down 29.2% year-on-year but up 13.9% month-on-month, according to rankings released Tuesday by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).
The company continued to rank first with a 21.8% share in May, up from 21.4% in April, maintaining its lead over second-place Geely Auto (HKEX: 0175).
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Geely's NEV retail sales in May were 109,198 units, down 16.3% year-on-year while up 14.2% month-on-month. It ranked second in China's NEV market with an 11.5% share.
Changan Automobile ranked third with retail sales of 62,865 units, capturing a 6.6% share. Its monthly NEV sales decreased by 15.0% year-on-year and dipped slightly by 2.5% month-on-month.
Tesla's retail sales in China were 47,281 units in May, up 22.5% from a year earlier and rising 82.2% from April.
This allowed the US electric vehicle (EV) maker to return to the top 10 list of NEV retail sales in China, ranking fifth with a 5.0% share.
In April, Tesla's retail sales in China were 25,956 units, falling significantly both year-on-year and month-on-month, causing it to drop out of the top 10 NEV retail sales list.
Nio Inc (NYSE: NIO) ranked eighth with retail sales of 37,617 units in May, capturing a 4.0% share. The sales represented a 61.9% year-on-year growth and a 28.3% increase from April.
Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) ranked tenth in the NEV market with retail sales of 33,350 units in May, capturing a 3.5% share. Its sales decreased by 18.4% year-on-year and 2.2% month-on-month.
In the January-May period, BYD's NEV retail sales were 766,401 units, down 39.1% year-on-year, ranking first with a 20.7% share.
Top automakers with highest NEV retail sales in China in Jan-May 2026
| Ranking | NEV Automaker | Sales | Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BYD | 766,401 | 20.7% |
| 2 | Geely | 470,396 | 12.7% |
| 3 | Changan | 254,767 | 6.9% |
| 4 | HIMA | 191,592 | 5.2% |
| 5 | Leapmotor | 187,817 | 5.1% |
| 6 | Tesla China | 186,035 | 5% |
| 7 | Li Auto | 162,577 | 4.4% |
| 8 | SAIC-GM-Wuling | 159,307 | 4.3% |
| 9 | Xiaomi EV | 150,317 | 4.1% |
| 10 | Nio | 150,123 | 4.1% |
Geely's NEV retail sales in the January-May period were 470,396 units, down 17.6% year-on-year, ranking second with a 12.7% share.
Tesla's retail sales in China in the January-May period were 186,035 units, down 7.9% year-on-year, ranking sixth with a 5.0% share.
Nio's retail sales in the January-May period were 150,123 units, up 68.4% year-on-year, ranking 10th with a 4.1% share.
In the overall passenger car market, which includes traditional internal combustion engine vehicles, BYD ranked first in retail sales in May, capturing a 13.7% share.
Top automakers with highest passenger car retail sales in China in May 2026
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| Ranking | Automaker | Sales | Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BYD | 207,372 | 13.7% |
| 2 | Geely | 169,344 | 11.2% |
| 3 | Changan | 92,322 | 6.1% |
| 4 | FAW-Volkswagen | 83,750 | 5.5% |
| 5 | Chery | 67,113 | 4.4% |
| 6 | Leapmotor | 61,401 | 4.1% |
| 7 | SAIC-Volkswagen | 55,700 | 3.7% |
| 8 | GAC Toyota | 55,048 | 3.6% |
| 9 | SAIC-GM-Wuling | 54,207 | 3.6% |
| 10 | Tesla China | 47,281 | 3.1% |
Geely Auto ranked second with 169,344 units sold and an 11.2% share.
Changan ranked third in the overall passenger car retail ranking with 92,322 units sold and a 6.1% share.
Tesla was among the top 10 of China's overall passenger car market in May, ranking tenth with a 3.1% share.
In China's overall passenger car retail sales for the January-May period, Geely ranked first with 848,116 units sold and an 11.9% share.
Top automakers with highest retail sales in China in Jan-May 2026
| Ranking | Automaker | Sales | Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Geely | 848,116 | 11.9% |
| 2 | BYD | 766,401 | 10.8% |
| 3 | FAW-Volkswagen | 476,982 | 6.7% |
| 4 | Changan | 447,716 | 6.3% |
| 5 | Chery | 338,065 | 4.8% |
| 6 | SAIC-Volkswagen | 317,980 | 4.5% |
| 7 | GAC Toyota | 280,748 | 4% |
| 8 | FAW Toyota | 229,830 | 3.2% |
| 9 | SAIC-GM-Wuling | 215,153 | 3% |
| 10 | GWM | 194,189 | 2.7% |
BYD ranked second in the overall passenger car market in the January-May period with 766,401 units sold and a 10.8% share.
FAW-Volkswagen ranked third in the overall passenger car market with 476,982 units sold and a 6.7% share.
BYD only produces NEV models, including battery electric vehicle (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) models. Tesla only produces BEV models. Geely and Changan both have traditional fuel vehicle lineups.
Wrap-up: May 2026 deliveries for major Chinese automakers
Based on the data released so far, most automakers saw a rebound in sales in May, gradually emerging from the off-season that began at the start of the year.