Securing Three Spots in the Global Top 10: Just the Beginning of a New Era

On the morning of August 5th, Dianchetong received thrilling news—three Chinese automakers have made their way into the top 10 in global automotive sales.

The data, compiled by Cui Dongshu, Secretary-General of the China Passenger Car Association, reveals the sales figures for international automotive groups in the first half of 2026. Toyota and Volkswagen continue to lead, holding market shares of 11.0% and 8.1%, respectively.

(Image credit: Dianchetong)

Chinese automakers BYD, Geely, and Chery have secured the sixth, seventh, and ninth positions, with market shares of 4.8%, 4.6%, and 4.1%, respectively.

Compared to the full-year rankings for 2025, Chery stands out as the newcomer among Chinese automakers on this list, while Honda, a well-known domestic brand, has been displaced.

Over a decade ago, leading domestic brands were struggling under the dominance of joint ventures, relying on cost-effectiveness to survive on the "scraps" left by foreign brands.

Back then, Europe, the United States, Japan, and South Korea held a firm grip on the global automotive industry. Today, with three Chinese independent brands firmly established in the top 10, the global landscape is no longer dominated solely by overseas automakers.

(Image credit: BYD)

What excites domestic consumers the most is not just the high sales volumes of these automakers but, more importantly, the growing strength of their overseas operations, which are now generating revenue from foreign markets.

In July alone, BYD sold 419,211 vehicles, with overseas sales reaching 179,841 units; Geely sold 250,161 vehicles, including 106,663 units sold overseas; Chery sold 276,820 vehicles, with a staggering 202,533 units sold overseas.

Before the rise of Chinese automakers, some criticized the quality of domestic vehicles; as Chinese automakers gradually emerged, some claimed they only competed domestically. Now, as Chinese automakers go global, they are proving the strength of Chinese manufacturing amid widespread skepticism.

Beyond marveling at the development of China's automotive industry from scratch to strength, many netizens are now discussing which Chinese automaker will be the next to enter the global top 10.

In the first half of this year, Chery delivered approximately 1.3575 million new vehicles. Among other domestic automakers, Chang'an Automobile is the closest to this figure. Chang'an and its brands, including Qiyuan and Shenlan, boast extremely high visibility and popularity, delivering 1.1956 million new vehicles in the first half of the year and are poised to become the fourth Chinese automaker to enter the global top 10.

(Image credit: Chang'an Qiyuan)

Additionally, Dianchetong (ID: dianchetong233) believes that the new-force brand Leapmotor also has the potential to enter the global top 10. Although Leapmotor delivered only 356,500 new vehicles in the first half of this year, its sales growth rate has been remarkable, with 101,267 vehicles delivered in July alone.

Leapmotor is also expanding overseas by leveraging the factories and sales channels of Stellantis, the world's fourth-largest automaker. With the increasing penetration of new energy vehicles in the domestic market, which aligns with Leapmotor's development strategy, its sales are expected to reach new heights in the second half of the year, potentially achieving its annual target of delivering 1 million vehicles.

Perhaps in a few years, half of the top 10 global automakers will be familiar Chinese brands.

The World Robot Conference (WRC) 2026, a key indicator of the robotics industry's direction, is making a major comeback, closely followed by the World Humanoid Robot Olympics.

Over 300 top exhibitors, including Unitree, Zhiyuan, Qiyuan, Magic Atom, Galaxy General, Deep Robotics, and Lingxin Qiaoshou, will jointly showcase the future of the global robotics industry!

WRC will provide answers to all core questions about robotics.

The Leikeji WRC 2026 reporting team is landing in Beijing to deliver comprehensive coverage.

BYD, Chery, Geely, new energy vehicles, Toyota

Source: Leikeji

All images in this article are sourced from the 123RF licensed image library. Credit: Leikeji