PHEV market slowdown sees new model high in China
17 December 2025
China saw another month of low plug-in hybrid (PHEV) improvement, as new models made gains on established players. Moreover, with battery-electric vehicle (BEV) deliveries rising, is the country’s electric vehicle (EV) market becoming more diverse? Autovista24 special content editor Phil Curry investigates.
China’s tale of two markets continued in October. BEV deliveries jumped while the PHEV slowdown continued. The month saw 928,863 BEV sales, up 36.6% compared to October 2024, according to the latest figures from EV Volumes.
Meanwhile, the 577,940 PHEV volume reflected just a 4.2% increase. EV Volumes does include extended-range electric vehicles in its plug-in hybrid figures. The result means that in October, BEVs made up 61.6% of the total EV market, while PHEVs accounted for 38.4%.
Across the first half of 2025, PHEVs enjoyed a double-digit improvement. But since July, the powertrain has struggled to exceed mid-single-digit figures.
Across the first 10 months of 2025, 6,620,049 BEVs were sold in China, a 37.2% improvement year on year. However, despite increases, the PHEV market’s growth slowed. The 4,443,977-unit total between January and October was up by 18.7%, but dropped from a much greater cumulative improvement earlier in the year.
Wuling dominates BEV sales
The Wuling Mini dominated the Chinese BEV market in October. In a rollercoaster year for the model, it took control of the market with 61,119 sales. This was a 78.8% year-on-year improvement, as the model pushed for top spot in the cumulative table. It took a 6.6% market share in the month, up 1.6 percentage points (pp).
The Wuling Mini was 16,880 units ahead of its closest rival, the Geely Geome Xingyuan. The Geely model saw 44,239 sales, a 192.4% increase against its first meaningful month on the Chinese market in 2024. This was enough for a 4.8% market share, up 2.6pp compared to 12 months prior.
Third went to the BYD Seagull, with 36,604 sales in October. Despite the high placing, this was a drop of 28.6% from October 2024, when it led the monthly standings. The model was a consistent mid-table performer across the first 10 months of the year. Yet, its 3.9% market share in October was 3.6pp down year on year.
In just its fifth month on the market, the Xiaomi YU7 took fourth. This was thanks to a record total of 33,662 sales, as the model continues to ramp up deliveries. It accounted for 3.6% of all BEV sales in China in October.
It was followed by the BYD Seal Lion 06, with 24,800 units. This was the model’s first placement in China’s top 10 BEV list. Since hitting the market halfway through this year, it took a 2.7% hold of the market in the month.
Tesla struggles in China
Also making its way into the top 10 for the first time was the Wuling Bingo Plus. Despite seeing its sales begin in March 2024, the model passed the five-digit volume mark for the first time. With 24,448 units, this represented a 382% year-on-year increase and a 2.6% market share.
The BYD Yuan Up took seventh, with 19,813 units representing a 2% decline year on year. Its 2.1% market share was 0.9pp down compared to October 2024. The Tesla Model Y dropped to eighth in October, its worst volume month since February. The result followed its quarterly delivery boost in September.
While it performed well in July, its April and October figures suggest a similar trend as seen in Europe. Severe sales drops have followed high periods. It saw 19,488 sales in October and a 46.2% decline compared to the same month last year. This left it with 2.1% of the market, a 3.2pp drop.
Ninth went to the Changan Lumin, with 18,755 units equating to a 10.1% increase. However, its 2% market share was 0.5pp down year on year. Rounding out the table was the Deepal S05, with 18,169 units, and a 1,414.1% increase year on year. However, its deliveries were still ramping up 12 months ago.
Race to the end
After 10 months of 2025, the Geely Geome Xingyuan remained in the lead of the Chinese BEV market. With 387,753 units, it looks set to end the year as the best-selling all-electric model in the country. However, this is not without a challenge.
Jumping into second place, after two months of monthly market-leading performances, was the Wuling Mini. With 348,111 units, it held 5.3% of the market. The Mini was only 39,642 units behind the Geely. The gap may seem large, but a slow month from its rival could provide a small chance of victory.
The Tesla Model Y dropped to third after its poor October performance. In the first 10 months of 2025, it recorded 312,331 sales. It ended the period with a 4.7% market share and a 35,780-unit gap to the Wuling Mini. With its quarterly reporting pattern, the carmaker could still jump into second with a strong December.
New models push forward
The following three models remained stable from September. The BYD Seagull was fourth with 282,740 units, followed by the Xiaomi SU7 in fifth, with 234,521 deliveries. Sixth went to the BYD Yuan Up, with 178,420 units and a 2.7% market share.
Seventh saw a change, with the Xpeng M03 moving up the table thanks to 148,236 units. It overtook the Tesla Model 3, which dropped to eighth, having not featured in October’s top 10. Between January and October, it achieved 146,379 sales, with a 2.2% share of the overall BEV total.
Ninth went to the Changan Lumin thanks to a strong result in October. With 142,163 sales, it took 2.1% of the market. Rounding out the table was the Geely Panda Mini, with 140,434 deliveries in the 10-month period.
New entrant features in PHEV market
The BYD Qin Plus once again topped the monthly PHEV chart, with 35,096 units delivered in October. This was a 29.5% increase year on year. The Qin Plus was the first of five BYD models in China’s PHEV top 10 for the month. However, it was the only one to achieve growth.
Despite sales dropping 50.1% year on year, the BYD Song Plus took second, with 20,613 units sold. This translated to a 3.6% share of the total PHEV market, a drop of 3.9pp.
In third was the Fang Cheng Bao Tai 7, with 20,024 sales. This was just 589 units behind the popular BYD Song Plus. Considering the PHEV began large-volume deliveries in the previous month, this was an impressive performance. The boxy SUV is making its mark in China’s slowing PHEV market, and took 3.5% of total deliveries in the month.
Taking fourth was the BYD Seal 6, with 19,355 units. However, this was a big drop for a model, with volumes down 49.2% year on year. It captured 3.3% of overall PHEV sales, down 3.6pp.
BYD struggles continue
A pair of Aito models came next, with the M7 taking 18,199 sales, a 20.3% rise compared to October 2024. With 3.1% of the market, its share increased by 0.4pp. Following this was the Aito M8, with 17,484 deliveries in its seventh month on the Chinese market. This was enough for a 3% market share.
The Galaxy A7, in its fifth month on sale, achieved 15,888 deliveries with a 2.7% hold of total volumes in seventh. Another pair of BYD models followed in eighth and ninth, with the BYD Song Pro and BYD Qin L, respectively. Both saw large sales declines compared to October 2024.
The Song Pro achieved 15,758 deliveries, a 50.4% fall, with a 3pp drop in market share to 2.7%. The Qin L fell further, down 60.4% to 15,586 units. This was also a 2.7% hold of the total PHEV market, down from 7.1% a year prior.
Closing out the table was the Chery Fengyun A9, in its fifth month on the market. It achieved 13,378 sales and a 2.3% market share.
Clear at the PHEV summit
The cumulative PHEV top 10 remained fairly static. Despite its struggles, BYD filled the top five places and seven of the top 10 positions.
The BYD Qin Plus kept hold of the top spot, with 218,509 units and a 4.9% market share. As the only BYD model in October’s chart to make year-on-year gains, its momentum could carry it forward.
The BYD Seal 06 held second with 175,577 sales between January and October. This gave it a 4% share of total PHEV volumes. The model was 42,932 units behind the Qin Plus, a gap that continues to widen.
Next was the Song Plus, with 170,377 deliveries in the first 10 months of the year. It closed the gap to second in October, with just 5,200 units between it and the Seal 6.
The BYD Song Pro was next, with 154,001 sales and a 3.5% market share. Following this was the BYD Qin L, which jumped a position to fifth with 148,380 deliveries cumulatively. This was good enough for a 3.3% market share.
Good results help strugglers
Having only placed 18th in October’s sales figures, the Li Auto L6 lost ground to the BYD Qin L, dropping to sixth after 10 months of the year. Its 144,406 total for the period equated to a 3.2% market share.
The BYD Song L, which ended October in 11th, followed the L6 in the cumulative table. A total of 122,029 units was good enough for seventh, with a 2.7% market share. Both the L6 and the Song L are holding on thanks to good performances earlier in 2025.
However, the Aito M8 continued its rapid approach. Despite having only become available this year, it held eighth with 121,811 units. This was just 218 deliveries behind the BYD model, while it matched its 2.7% market share.
The BYD Destroyer 05 was ninth, with 111,617 sales between January and October. The model placed 23rd in the monthly sales figures. Rounding out the cumulative table was the Galaxy Starship 7. Its 110,115-unit tally gave it a 2.5% market share.
