Recently, the May sales data for several leading independent Chinese automakers has been fully disclosed. Despite the overall downward pressure on the automotive market, these top performers have managed to stand out with impressive results. BYD maintained its leading position with 383,453 units sold. Chery Group followed closely in second place with 247,823 units sold, marking a significant 20.5% year-on-year increase. Geely Automobile was not far behind, with 237,637 units sold for the month. Changan Automobile and Great Wall Motor delivered 209,100 and 100,399 units respectively, showing minimal month-on-month fluctuations and demonstrating overall stable performance.

BYD: 383,453 units

In May, BYD's sales soared to 383,453 units, up 19.4% month-on-month. The Dynasty and Ocean series continued their strong performance, with cumulative sales of 330,215 units, accounting for a substantial 86.1% of the total. The three high-end brands—Denza, Fangchengbao, and Yangwang—cumulatively sold 46,775 units, up approximately 15.1% month-on-month. Since the beginning of 2026, BYD has been rapidly rolling out new models. The Song Ultra and Fangchengbao Titan 7 were the first to enter the market, followed by the Qin MAX, Seal 08, and Sea Lion 08. The flagship Dynasty models, the Datang and Dahan, are soon to make their debut. With multiple new models featuring advanced intelligent driving systems entering the market, BYD's product lineup continues to expand.

BYD is also making significant strides in the technological realm. The super e-platform has been fully implemented, initially applied to models like the Han L and Tang L. This platform boasts flash-charging batteries, 30,000 RPM motors, and self-developed silicon carbide power chips. New models built on this architecture can achieve "5-minute charging for 400 kilometers of range." Meanwhile, the 4nm Xuanji A3 intelligent driving chip and the "Divine Eye 5.0" intelligent driving system have also been launched. While accelerating technological upgrades, BYD is also speeding up its global expansion, transitioning from "product exports" to "industrial overseas expansion," with an ambitious annual overseas sales target of 1.5 million units.

Chery Automobile: 247,823 units

In May, Chery Automobile sold 247,823 units, up 20.5% year-on-year. Currently, Chery Group encompasses five automotive brands: Chery, Exeed, Jetour, iCAR, and Zhijie. Among them, Chery and Jetour remain the sales pillars, with cumulative sales of 213,202 units, accounting for a high 86.03% of the total. The other three brands experienced sales declines, with monthly sales all below 10,000 units.

In 2026, Chery is set to introduce new models at a brisk pace. Heavyweight new models such as the all-new Arrizo 7, Fengyun A9, and the all-new Zhijie V9 will be launched successively. Technologically, Chery is fully equipped with the Kunpeng CDM6.0 hybrid system, Falcon 700 intelligent driving, and a self-developed 1000V high-voltage platform, with high-level NOA standard across all new models. Leveraging its new products and technological advantages, Chery's overseas market performance has been outstanding. Chery Automobile has achieved over 100,000 monthly exports for 11 consecutive months, with May exports reaching 181,871 units, accounting for 73.39% of total sales, and setting a new record for Chinese auto exports for three consecutive months. Chery's success in both domestic and overseas markets is attributed to the continued popularity of its star models and the intensive rollout of new products.

Geely Automobile: 237,637 units

Geely Automobile delivered a total of 237,637 units in May, achieving positive year-on-year and month-on-month growth for three consecutive months. Geely's three main brands worked in synergy. The Geely brand sold 182,528 units, achieving positive growth both year-on-year and month-on-month. The Lynk & Co brand sold 20,732 units, with cumulative sales surpassing 1.8 million units. The Zeekr brand delivered 34,377 units, with the Zeekr 9-series and 8-series models contributing nearly half of the sales. Currently, Geely's new energy vehicle sales account for half of its total sales, indicating initial success in its electrification transformation. Technologically, the Thunder AI Electric Hybrid 2.0 and i-HEV hybrid systems have been gradually implemented in vehicles, while the intelligent driving system, integrating "Qianli Haohan," and the G-ASD high-level intelligent driving are being rapidly popularized. Additionally, the overseas market became a major highlight for Geely Automobile in May, with overseas export sales reaching 85,144 units, up a significant 183.7% year-on-year, setting a new export record for Geely Automobile.

Changan Automobile: 209,100 units

Changan Automobile delivered a total of 209,100 units in May. Among them, Deepal sold 33,243 units, up 30% year-on-year; Changan Origin delivered 34,528 units, up 51% year-on-year. The sales growth of these two major new energy brands provides strong support for Changan's electrification transformation. However, Avatr sold only 7,336 units, down 42.54% year-on-year, highlighting the brand's challenges in breaking into the high-end market. Against this backdrop, Changan Automobile is also accelerating product and technological upgrades. It plans to launch over 10 new models in 2026, including the Origin Q06, facelifted Deepal S05, and Avatr 06T, while simultaneously deploying an 800V high-voltage platform, sodium-ion batteries, and L3 intelligent driving technology. According to the group's plan, by 2030, the combined annual sales target for the Deepal and Avatr brands is 1.5 million units, aiming to secure a place in the mid-to-high-end new energy vehicle market. Changan Automobile has shown active performance in the overseas market, with overseas sales reaching 70,700 units in May, up 38% year-on-year. In recent years, Changan Automobile has been making multi-pronged efforts in its new energy brand layout, with significant room for future growth.

Great Wall Motor: 100,399 units

In May, Great Wall Motor sold 100,399 units, down 5.6% month-on-month and 1.86% year-on-year. Among them, new energy models sold a total of 30,447 units. Breaking it down, the Haval brand sold 55,478 units, down 3.84% year-on-year. Wey sold 8,119 units, up 31.78% year-on-year, mainly due to the launch of the Wey V9X. The Ora brand saw the highest year-on-year increase, up 206.88%, with monthly sales of 6,018 units. In contrast, Haval, Great Wall Pickup, and Tank brands all experienced sales declines to varying degrees. Overall, Great Wall Motor still has a significant gap in sales volume compared to the other four leading independent automakers, such as BYD and Geely.

To boost the market, Great Wall Motor will launch several new models in 2026, including the Tank 700, new Tank 300, Ora 5, and Gaoshan MPV, covering multiple powertrain routes through the Guiyuan platform. It is reported that in May, purchasing Great Wall's branded vehicles comes with cash discounts, high trade-in subsidies, and long-term 0-interest financing policies. While such generous preferential policies can stimulate sales in the short term, they may cause irreversible damage to brand premium. Additionally, Great Wall Motor's overseas sales in May surged 46.75% year-on-year, with exports expected to become a key breakthrough point for driving overall sales growth.

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