- NEVs dominate China’s July top 10 passenger cars, occupying nine of ten spots.
- Geely Xingyuan led July sales with 32,306 units while Tesla Model Y plunged 35% month-on-month.
- NEV penetration hit 65.1% in July as gasoline models fade amid rising fuel costs and weak demand.
The only gasoline-powered model on the list was Toyota Corolla Cross, which ranked 10th with 14,510 units sold, according to the latest data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).
The top three spots were all occupied by NEV models. Geely Xingyuan (Geely EX2), Leapmotor A10, and Tesla Model Y ranked first, second, and third, with July sales of 32,306 units, 26,424 units, and 25,158 units, respectively.
BYD secured three positions on the list. Fangchengbao Ti 7 ranked fifth with 20.3K units sold; BYD Yuan UP (Atto 2) and BYD Sealion 06 delivered 20,275 units and 15,395 units, ranking sixth and ninth.
Xiaomi SU7 ranked fourth with monthly sales of 24,023 units. Nevo Q05 and Li Auto i6 followed with 18,871 units and 15,420 units, respectively.
The July ranking saw major reshuffles compared with June. Tesla Model Y, which topped the June ranking with 38,654 units, slipped to third place in July. Its sales dropped about 35% month on month, marking one of the steepest declines among the top 10 models.
Li Auto i6 also recorded a sharp pullback. July sales fell about 28% from the previous month, pushing the model down from fourth to eighth place.
BYD Song Pro and Toyota Camry dropped out of the top 10, replaced by BYD Sealion 06 and Toyota Corolla Cross.
On the growth side, Leapmotor A10 sales climbed about 6% month on month, lifting the model to second place. Yuan UP sales rose about 13%, moving from eighth to sixth. Fangchengbao Ti 7, Xiaomi SU7, and Nevo Q05 maintained relatively stable momentum.
China’s passenger car market remained under pressure in July. CPCA data showed retail sales of passenger vehicles reached 1.461M units in July, down 20.9% year on year and 8.8% month on month. Total retail sales for the first seven months reached 10.173M units, down 20.3% from a year earlier.
Gasoline models fading from the top 10 has become a recurring trend in 2026. In January, seven gasoline-powered vehicles still ranked among China’s top 10 passenger cars. By March, the number fell to five. In April, only Geely Binyue, a gasoline SUV, remained on the list, ranking eighth.
The shift accelerated in May, when NEVs filled all 10 positions for the first time. Although one gasoline model returned in both June and July, NEVs have already secured the overwhelming majority of the ranking.
The transition reflects China’s accelerating NEV adoption. NEV penetration surpassed 60% in April 2026, reaching 65.1% in July. Meanwhile, rising fuel prices this year have further pushed consumers toward electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid models, reshaping China’s passenger car market structure.
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