BYD's EV sales fall for 8th consecutive month
What's the story
Chinese electric vehicle (EV) giant BYD has witnessed a fall in its passenger car sales for the eighth consecutive month. The company sold 314,100 new energy passenger vehicles in April, marking a 15.7% decline from last year. However, this is an improvement of 6.2% over March's figures, according to CNBC.
Export success
Record exports for BYD in April
Despite the domestic slump, BYD's export numbers have hit an all-time high of 135,098 units. This is a staggering increase of over 70% compared to the same period in 2025. The contrast between BYD's domestic and international performance highlights its growing dependence on foreign markets amid intensifying competition at home.
Financial dip
BYD's profits and revenue take a hit
In the first quarter, BYD's profits fell by nearly 55.4% year-on-year. The company's operating revenue also took a hit, falling 11.8% to 150 billion yuan ($22 billion). This financial downturn comes amid strong performances from its domestic rivals in the same period.
Market competition
Leapmotor and Zeekr report record monthly deliveries
In April, second-place Chinese EV maker Leapmotor recorded its highest-ever monthly deliveries with 71,387 units. The figure is a 73.9% increase over the same period in 2025. Geely's premium EV brand Zeekr also hit a new high in monthly sales with 31,787 units—a staggering 131.6% year-on-year increase.
Growth trajectory
Xiaomi and Nio's sales figures for April
Chinese tech giant Xiaomi delivered over 30,000 EVs in April, a more than 7.1% increase from the same period last year. Nio also saw an increase in deliveries with 29,356 units sold—22.8% more than the same period last year. This includes sales from its lower-priced Onvo and Firefly brands.
Sales update
Li Auto's stable performance vs Xpeng's decline
Start-up Li Auto's April deliveries remained stable at 34,085 units—up 0.4% from the same period last year. However, Xpeng saw a year-on-year sales decline with 31,011 deliveries—an 11.5% fall from the previous year. This was despite the launch of its new GX SUV in mid-April.