According to data from CleanTechnica, as many as 11 of the world’s 20 best-selling electric vehicle brands in the first five months of 2026 come from China, while BYD convincingly took the leading position ahead of Tesla.
BYD sold 1,249,405 electric vehicles from January to May, more than double Tesla’s 595,647. However, there is not just one manufacturer behind China’s success. A total of eleven Chinese brands among the 20 largest together sold around 3.13 million vehicles, or approximately 64 percent of the total sales of the world’s leading manufacturers.
Along with BYD, the list includes Geely, Leapmotor, Wuling, Li Auto, Xiaomi, Zeekr, MG, Aion, AITO and Xpeng. Thus, the Chinese automobile industry covers almost all market segments – from affordable city cars to luxury electric models – which presents a much greater challenge to traditional manufacturers than the competition of only one dominant brand.
Leapmotor, founded only in 2015, stands out in particular, which delivered 263,111 vehicles in the observed period. Thus, it took fourth place in the global ranking, ahead of Volkswagen (215,489), BMW (192,650), Toyota (176,749), Kia (169,019), Mercedes (150,208), Audi (138,006) and Hyundai (134,782).
BYD is growing abroad while the domestic market is slowing down
Although BYD dominates the world market, the situation in its home market is becoming increasingly demanding. Domestic sales in China fell 22 percent in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year. The reasons are the gradual abolition of government incentives for the purchase of electric vehicles and the slowdown of the Chinese economy, primarily due to the long-term crisis in the real estate market, which has weakened the purchasing power of citizens.
Estimates say that the overall Chinese car market could fall by around 11 percent this year.
BYD is successfully compensating for the decline in domestic demand by aggressively expanding into international markets. In June, the company achieved growth in foreign sales of as much as 94.7 percent on an annual basis, delivering 175,349 vehicles outside of China. In the first six months of this year, international sales reached 792,256 vehicles, which represents a growth of 70.7 percent and confirms that exports are becoming the main driver of the company’s further growth.
Tesla continues to lead manufacturers outside of China
Despite the strong growth of Chinese competition, Tesla remains the largest manufacturer of electric vehicles outside of China. With almost 596,000 vehicles sold, it maintains a significant advantage over Volkswagen, BMW and Toyota.
Looking solely at fully electric vehicles (BEVs), without the plug-in hybrids that make up a significant portion of BYD’s sales, the Chinese manufacturer also maintained its lead. In the second quarter, BYD delivered 557,090 battery electric vehicles, while analysts estimate that Tesla delivered around 406,000 vehicles in the same period.
Trends from the first half of 2026 show that the global electric vehicle market is no longer a competition between Tesla and BYD. A growing number of Chinese manufacturers are rapidly increasing production and international presence, while traditional European, Japanese and South Korean manufacturers are facing increasing pressure in almost all market segments.