China’s Strike in the Global Market! Three Chinese Car Companies Enter the Top 10; Find Out Which One Is Number One
China is now dominating the global automobile market. Three Chinese companies—BYD, SAIC, and Geely—have secured their places in the top 10 car manufacturers list.
Known as the “factory of the world,” China performed exceptionally well in the 2025 global car sales rankings. Notably, BYD has established its global dominance in the electric vehicle (EV) segment for the first time, surpassing Tesla. China has retained the title of the world’s largest auto market for the 17th consecutive year. It is worth noting that over 34.4 million vehicles were sold in China in 2025. Let’s explore the full story in detail.
BYD and the Global Rise of Chinese Brands
Among Chinese companies, BYD ranked sixth. In 2025, it sold 4.6 million vehicles, an increase of approximately 8% compared to the previous year. The company has now completely phased out petrol and diesel cars and is focusing solely on electric and plug-in hybrid models. BYD’s pure electric car sales stood at 2.25 million units, marking a massive growth of 28%.
SAIC remains at number seven on the same list with 4.51 million vehicles sold. The company owns well-known brands like MG and Wuling. Meanwhile, Geely has overtaken Honda to occupy the ninth position. Geely has crossed the 4 million annual sales mark for the first time. Luxury brands like Volvo and Zeekr played a major role in this growth.
Trade-In Scheme Provides Significant Momentum
China’s dominance is largely due to the government’s “trade-in” scheme. This program benefited approximately 360 million customers who exchanged their old petrol cars for new electric vehicles (EVs). Interestingly, every second vehicle sold in China is now a New Energy Vehicle (NEV).
China has also become the world’s number one vehicle export country, shipping 7 million vehicles overseas in 2025. The global market share of Chinese cars has now risen to 35.6%.
Toyota Continues Its Reign
Chinese companies are rapidly rising in the global rankings. However, the number one position is still held by Japan’s Toyota, which maintained its dominance by selling 11.3 million vehicles in 2025. Volkswagen came in second, while Hyundai secured third place.
However, this year was somewhat challenging for major companies like Ford and Honda, and their rankings have declined. Ford has slipped two places to number eight, while Nissan has dropped out of the top 10 list this time.
| 2025 Rank | Change vs 2024 | Company | 2025 Sales | 2024 Sales | YoY | Major Brands |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | Toyota | 11.32 | 10.82 | 4.65% | Toyota, Lexus, Hino, Daihatsu |
| 2 | — | Volkswagen | 8.98 | 9.03 | -0.51% | Porsche, Audi, Volkswagen, Škoda, etc. |
| 3 | — | Hyundai | 7.27 | 7.23 | 0.60% | Hyundai, Kia, Genesis |
| 4 | — | GM | 6.18 | 6.00 | 3.03% | Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac |
| 5 | — | Stellantis | 5.48 | 5.42 | 1.27% | Peugeot, Jeep, Fiat, Citroën, etc. |
| 6 | +1 | BYD | 4.60 | 4.27 | 7.72% | BYD, Denza, Yangwang, Fang Cheng Bao |
| 7 | — | SAIC | 4.51 | 4.01 | 12.33% | Roewe, MG, IM Motors, Wuling (JV) |
| 8 | -2 | Ford | 4.40 | 4.47 | -1.68% | Ford, Lincoln |
| 9 | +2 | Geely | 4.12 | 3.27 | 26.03% | Geely, Volvo, Zeekr, Lynk & Co, etc. |
| 10 | -1 | Honda | 3.52 | 3.81 | -7.53% | Honda, Acura |
Unit: million vehicles. Data source: Company financial reports. Compiled by: CLS.