Domestic passenger vehicle sales for the first half of 2026 have been released. Data shows that from January to June, cumulative retail sales of domestic passenger vehicles reached 8.701 million units, a year‑on‑year decline of 20.2%. While the overall market is under pressure, the new energy vehicle (NEV) segment has bucked the trend and become the dominant force, with retail sales of 4.704 million units and a market share exceeding 54% for the first time. Domestic NEV brands are reshaping the industry landscape.

Looking at the semi‑annual brand sales ranking, BYD (795,200 units) leads with a commanding gap, holding a 9.07% market share. In June alone, BYD retailed 177,400 units—far surpassing the two major joint‑venture giants, Toyota and Volkswagen, on both a monthly and semi‑annual basis. The joint‑venture brands that once firmly occupied the top two positions are now seeing sluggish growth. Volkswagen sold 664,600 units in the half‑year, and Toyota 614,800 units, with their market shares still being squeezed by domestic brands. The sales gap between leading joint‑venture and domestic brands continues to widen.

Among the TOP 10 brands, domestic players occupy 7 spots, including Geely Auto, Geely Galaxy, Wuling, Leapmotor, HIMA (Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance), Chery, and others, gradually forming a strong domestic brand camp. Geely's two brands performed impressively: Geely Auto sold nearly 400,000 units in the half‑year, while Geely Galaxy sold 378,700 units, with both lines supporting the brand's sales foundation. Leapmotor and HIMA, relying on their NEV models, have grown rapidly, both surpassing 240,000 units in first‑half sales and entering the industry's top tier.

June automotive brand sales data shows even stronger momentum in the NEV segment. Leapmotor and Geely Galaxy each exceeded 70,000 units in monthly sales. Xiaomi Auto sold 34,700 units, Li Auto 30,100 units, and XPeng 32,600 units, with the emerging EV startup camp maintaining relatively stable performance. NEV brands such as Deepal, Zeekr, Fangchengbao, and Arcfox also kept monthly sales above 20,000 units, reflecting a flourishing diversity in the NEV sector. In contrast, Japanese and German joint‑venture brands have slowed down. Although Toyota and Volkswagen both sold over 100,000 units in June, their market shares continue to shrink, while Honda and Nissan managed only around 30,000 units each in the month.

In the premium brand segment, BMW, Audi, and Mercedes‑Benz recorded cumulative first‑half sales in the range of 160,000–220,000 units, showing a relatively slow growth trend. Domestic high‑end brands such as Hongqi, Zeekr, NIO, and Tank maintained stable sales, with Hongqi achieving 137,800 units in the half‑year. Fangchengbao and Deepal are steadily expanding their market presence, and domestic premium brands are gradually eating into the market share of traditional luxury brands.

Source: China Auto Data Research