In the premium segment above RMB 300,000 ($43,140), NIO placed three models in the top ten, led by the ES8 with 46,729 units.
Yiche analyzed retail sales data from the China Passenger Car Association for January–December 2025 to identify the Top 20 battery electric vehicle (BEV) models by price segment.
In the sub-RMB 100,000 (below about $14,380) segment, the Geely Xingyuan ranked first with annual sales of 465,775 units.
Since its launch in October 2024, the model has maintained strong volume growth, with cumulative deliveries exceeding 500,000 units. It was also the highest-selling model across all categories in China in 2025.
Following closely was the Wuling Hongguang MINI EV, with annual sales of 435,599 units, demonstrating stable demand in the low-price EV market.
The BYD Dolphin ranked third with 310,956 units sold, making it the second-best seller in the BYD lineup behind the Qin PLUS family.
High sales in this price tier contributed directly to BYD’s overall scale. Official data show BYD’s BEV sales for 2025 reached 2,256,700 units, surpassing Tesla’s 1,636,000 deliveries over the same period and making BYD the world’s top annual BEV seller for the first time.
The RMB 100,000–200,000 ($14,380–$28,760) price band became the core battleground between new EV brands and mainstream domestic marques.
The Xpeng MONA MO3 topped this segment with annual sales of 175,345 units. Cumulative deliveries have surpassed 220,000 units, and the model posted monthly deliveries above 10,000 units for 16 consecutive months, making it a key driver of Xpeng’s sales growth.
Behind it were the BYD Yuan PLUS, Geely Galaxy E5 and Leapmotor C10, with full-year sales of 135,446 units, 120,978 units and 108,765 units, respectively.
In the RMB 200,000–300,000 ($28,760–$43,140) category, Tesla and Xiaomi dominated the leaderboard.
The Tesla Model Y led with 425,337 units sold, marking the third consecutive year (2023–2025) that it was the world’s best-selling model. The Model 3 ranked third with annual sales of 200,361 units.
Xiaomi’s SU7 sold 258,164 units in 2025, placing second in the segment. The next-generation Xiaomi SU7 has already opened for pre-orders at a starting price of RMB 229,900 ($33,060) and is expected to launch in April 2026. The Xiaomi YU7 sold 153,673 units in 2025, ranking fourth on the segment list.
In the premium segment above RMB 300,000 (above $43,140), NIO placed three models in the top ten. The ES8 led with annual sales of 46,729 units.
In December, ES8 deliveries reached 22,258 units, up 108% month on month, and the model topped sales among large three-row SUVs.
The ES6 and EC6 ranked second and seventh with 43,242 units and 17,318 units, respectively.
At the 1 millionth vehicle production milestone ceremony, NIO founder William Li said the company plans to achieve 40%–50% growth in 2026, corresponding to annual sales of approximately 456,000–489,000 units.
The AITO M8 recorded annual sales of 26,539 units, ranking third in the premium segment.
Its cumulative sales had surpassed 150,000 units by the end of 2025, making the model the top new energy large SUV of the year in terms of launch timing and scale.
The Li Auto L8 sold 23,141 units in 2025, ranking fourth in this list. At the brand level, Li Auto delivered 406,300 vehicles in 2025, down 18.8% year on year, falling short of its revised target of 640,000 units and indicating growing market pressure.
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