A third of 2025 has already passed, and the competition in China’s automotive market has reached a small interim summary around the May Day holiday.
April was a month full of changes and fluctuations in the automotive market. Throughout April, marketing and promotional activities for automotive assisted driving functions became more cautious.
The price ranges of 100,000 to 150,000 yuan and above 500,000 yuan, representing the popularity of automotive products and the high-end, prestigious segment respectively, became hot topics in the automotive industry in April due to the delivery of new models to customers, the launch of new models for sale, and the public display of new models.
There is a saying, “He who wins the A-segment market wins the world.” For mainstream automotive manufacturers, this saying is particularly true, and it was especially evident in the April sales rankings.
Although the boundaries between vehicle sizes have become more blurred, typical new energy vehicle brands such as Leapmotor and XPeng, as well as established automotive groups like Geely and BYD, have achieved good results in the 100,000 to 150,000 yuan price segment. Leapmotor even became the first to deliver 40,000 new vehicles in a single month, maintaining its leading position among new energy vehicle brands.
On the other hand, brands such as Li Auto, Xiaomi, and Zeekr, which have just launched new products or are about to release new models, are currently experiencing fluctuations in their sales volumes. They will need to introduce new models to further boost their sales to a more stable and higher level.
Below is a detailed overview of the performance of various automotive brands in April.
NIO
In April, NIO delivered 23,900 new vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 53% and a month-on-month increase of 58.9%.
Of these, the NIO main brand delivered 19,269 units, while the Le Dao brand delivered 4,400 units. The Firefly, which began deliveries on April 29, will start to have a significant impact on NIO’s overall sales volume in May.
Starting in May, NIO will introduce upgraded versions of its “5566” main models. After comprehensive optimization in terms of vehicle configuration, intelligence, power consumption, and comfort, these four models will continue to contribute to the sales volume of the NIO main brand.
Additionally, more news about the Le Dao L90, such as its interior and energy consumption, is likely to be announced in May, and we will continue to follow up on this.
With the delivery of the Firefly, NIO has officially entered a new phase where three product lines are working together. How to accelerate back to the “NIO 30,000” mark and strive for “NIO 40,000” will be the core task for NIO in the second half of the year.
XPeng
XPeng delivered 35,045 vehicles in April. The company announced that it is the only new energy vehicle brand that has achieved monthly deliveries of over 30,000 units for six consecutive months, reaching a small milestone.
The current sales performance of XPeng is mainly due to its success in activating the market in the 100,000 to 200,000 yuan price segment through features such as range and intelligence.
In the coming months, in addition to the strong-selling models M03 and P7+, XPeng’s new P7, G7, and the extended-range large SUV, which are positioned in the 200,000 yuan and above market, will also need to maintain XPeng’s image in the mid-range and mid-high-end markets.
Whether “XPeng 40,000” and “XPeng 50,000” can be accelerated and whether sales and profits can grow in tandem are questions that XPeng needs to answer in this product-heavy year.
Li Auto
In April, Li Auto delivered 33,939 new vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 31.6% and a slight month-on-month decrease of 7.46%.
At the Shanghai Auto Show, Li Auto unveiled the intelligent refreshed versions of the L6 and MEGA models, as well as the MEGA Home special edition for families. These new models, which will begin deliveries to customers in May, will be the vanguard for boosting sales in Li Auto’s annual model refresh.
After the L6 and MEGA, Li Auto will also roll out intelligent refreshed versions of its other three extended-range models, the L7, L8, and L9. Although the powertrain systems of these models have not been updated, consumer feedback indicates that the basic sales situation of the L series remains relatively stable. For Li Auto’s brand positioning, highlighting the intelligence feature may currently be more important.
Finally, Li Auto’s pure electric SUV models, the i8 and i6, are also about to be launched, and new information about these two models is expected to be announced in May.
Leapmotor
Leapmotor continued to lead the monthly delivery list of new energy vehicle brands by being the first to achieve monthly deliveries of 40,000 units.
In April, Leapmotor delivered 41,039 vehicles, with a year-on-year increase of 173% and a month-on-month increase of 10.6%. With the launch of its first B-platform model, the B10, Leapmotor has further established a high cost-performance and high intelligent configuration image in the 100,000 to 150,000 yuan market segment. The first B-platform sedan, the B01, will also be launched in May, as Leapmotor makes a full-scale assault on the A-segment market.
In addition, the C10 underwent an annual refresh at the end of April. After making way for the B10 in the market segment below 130,000 yuan, the 2026 model of the C10 will focus on the 150,000 yuan market segment and directly compete with the BYD Song Plus.
Xiaomi Auto
Xiaomi Auto delivered over 28,000 vehicles in April, a slight decrease from the previous month’s 29,000 units. However, a delivery volume of over 28,000 units for a pure electric model priced above 200,000 yuan is still quite impressive.
With the delivery of the dual-duct hood version of the SU7U, Xiaomi is likely to attempt to reach the milestone of “monthly deliveries of over 30,000 units for a single model” before the launch of the YU7.
As the launch of the YU7 approaches, Xiaomi Auto’s production and sales targets for the second half of the year are also close to being realized: to deliver 40,000 units per month and exceed the previously announced annual target of 350,000 units by Lei Jun.
ZEEKR Intelligent Technology Holding Limited
In April, ZEEKR Intelligent Technology Holding Limited sold 41,316 units, a year-on-year increase of 18.7% and a month-on-month increase of 1.5%.
Specifically, Zeekr brand’s sales volume in April was 13,727 units, a month-on-month decline of 11.7%.
In April, Zeekr showcased several important new models, including the 007GT, 009 Glory Edition, and 9X. As the delivery and launch of new models accelerate, Zeekr will enter a key period for increasing its sales volume in 2025.
The Lynk & Co brand sold 27,589 units in April, with new energy vehicles accounting for 55% of the total, or 15,204 units.
Last week, Lynk & Co launched its flagship model, the 900, with a starting price of 289,900 yuan. The launch of this model attracted significant attention and discussion, with over 10,000 pre-orders within the first hour. The delivery speed of the 900 will be crucial for Lynk & Co’s push into the high-end market this year.
VOYAH
In April, VOYAH sold 10,019 units, which was almost the same as the 10,012 units sold in March.
VOYAH’s sales performance in the first half of the year has been relatively stable. In June, VOYAH will welcome the launch of the all-new FREE. As the first product of the VOYAH brand, the all-new FREE will re-enter the market with upgrades in the intelligent field, including the Huawei ADS 4.0 assisted driving system and the HarmonyOS 5.0 cockpit.
Avatr
In April, Avatr sold 11,681 units, setting a new brand record. The year-on-year increase reached 122.6%, and the month-on-month increase was also 10.3%.
The mainstream-priced sedan Avita 06, which was launched at the end of April with a relatively aggressive starting price of 194,900 yuan, received 12,536 pre-orders within 48 hours of its launch. It will become an important contributor to Avita’s sales this year.
In addition, existing models such as the 07 and 11 also launched special edition products in April. In the highly demanding Chinese automotive market, this has helped maintain a certain level of product freshness and popularity.
IM
In April, IM delivered 4,366 units, a year-on-year increase of 55% and a month-on-month decrease of 13.18%.
The most important event for IM in April was the launch of the new L6. The new L6, which was launched with more features but no price increase, has also received recognition from the first wave of orders, with 9,000 reservations within 48 hours.
In addition, IM will welcome its first extended-range model this year, and new versions of models such as the LS7 and L7 are also expected. The momentum for IM in the second half of the year will rely on the combined efforts of new products.
Deepal
In April, Deepal’s total delivery volume of all models continued to exceed 20,000 units, reaching 20,138 units, a month-on-month decrease of 17.36%.
In April, Deepal launched its flagship SUV, the S09. Within eight days of its launch, the model received over 10,000 orders.
In addition, for the May Day holiday, Deepal introduced a new promotion plan: labor models, advanced workers, and May Day Labor Medal recipients who have received awards from county-level or higher governments or trade unions can receive a 5,000-yuan car purchase voucher, with a total value of 50 million yuan.
GAC Aion
GAC Aion’s global sales volume in April was 28,031 units, a year-on-year increase of 7.36% and a month-on-month decline of 17%.
This month, Aion’s main focus remains on the pure electric compact car, the RT Parrot Dragon. With the delivery of the 330 Star辉version priced at 73,800 yuan, Aion continues to strengthen its presence in the entry-level market.
However, the challenge for Aion is more about capturing the mainstream home market in the 150,000 to 250,000 yuan price segment, which will determine whether Aion can return to its previous monthly sales level of 30,000 or even 40,000 units.
Geely Galaxy
In April, the sales volume of the Geely Galaxy brand reached 96,632 units, a month-on-month increase of 7% and a year-on-year increase of 281%.
Under the combined efforts of Geely Galaxy, Lynk & Co, Zeekr, and other brands, Geely Group’s new energy vehicle sales in April reached 125,563 units, a month-on-month increase of 5% and a year-on-year increase of 144%, with the new energy vehicle sales ratio reaching 54%.
In addition, Geely Group’s overseas export sales in April reached 24,133 units. Lynk & Co officially entered the Cambodian market in April, and the 08EM-P was also shipped to Europe.
BYD
In April, BYD’s sales volume returned to the 380,000 level, reaching 380,089 units, a month-on-month increase of 2.33%.
By sub-brand, BYD’s main brand dual-network sales in April were 347,053 units, a year-on-year increase of 16.5%.
The sales volume of the Formula Leopard brand exceeded 10,000 units, reaching 10,039 units, a year-on-year increase of 375.8%. The upcoming Titanium 3, which is expected to have a starting price as low as 139,800 yuan, is likely to become a new growth driver for Formula Leopard. However, it may also lead to competition within the same price segment across different sub-brands.
The sales volume of the DENZA brand reached 15,388 units, a year-on-year increase of 38.4%. The sales volume of the Yangwang brand was 135 units. The addition of the U7 is expected to bring some growth opportunities for the Yangwang brand in May.
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