September has always held a special place in my heart as my favorite month of the year.

For students, it is a pivotal month, embodying the tranquility and the gradual accumulation (or maturity) of autumn—a true season of harvest. Reflecting on the September that has just passed, the automotive industry was notably bustling and demanding, with a flurry of product launches and bewildering price wars where every competitor slashed prices, evoking a mix of surprise and shock.

So, what were the outcomes this month?

Leapmotor (09863.HK) achieved sales of over 100,000 units for the third consecutive month; Xiaomi Auto and XPENG Group each delivered more than 40,000 units; NIO, ZEEKR, Li Auto, and Seres all surpassed 30,000 units in deliveries.

Leapmotor's global deliveries in September reached 105,656 units, marking a 59% year-on-year increase and a 2.45% month-on-month rise.

Overseas exports exceeded 27,000 units, with cumulative exports from January to September surpassing 150,000 units, achieving the 2026 overseas export target ahead of schedule. It is reported that Leapmotor once again surpassed Great Wall Motors' passenger vehicle sales of 99,924 units in September 2026.

XPENG Group closely followed Leapmotor, delivering approximately 41,300 new vehicles in September.

Beyond sales growth, XPENG Group is exploring new frontiers. In mid-September, news emerged that XPENG plans to extend its technology export scope from partner Volkswagen to other overseas automakers, opening up new revenue streams.

Xiaomi Auto's September deliveries exceeded 40,000 units, with Xiaomi Pengcheng delivering over 10,000 units in its debut month.

Considering these figures, with deliveries not even spanning a full month, Pengcheng's performance is already remarkable. However, I noticed on the Xiaomi APP that there are still N70 models available for immediate delivery, while custom orders for N90/N70 have a delivery time of 4-7 weeks. Essentially, this could be seen as the last hurrah for extended-range models, as future extended-range vehicles are unlikely to achieve significant success.

NIO delivered 37,408 new vehicles in September, representing a 7.7% year-on-year increase and a 4.4% month-on-month rise.

Among them, the NIO brand delivered 21,318 units; Lido delivered 8,763 units; and Firefly delivered 7,327 units, marking a 26.9% year-on-year increase.

ZEEKR delivered 37,216 vehicles in September, achieving double-digit growth year-on-year and month-on-month for eight consecutive months, with a 103.85% year-on-year increase; from January to September, a total of 288,400 vehicles were delivered, marking a 100.84% year-on-year increase.

Among them, the ZEEKR 9X sold over 7,000 units monthly and recently entered the German market with a price tag in the millions.

Li Auto delivered 31,817 units in September, experiencing a 6.3% year-on-year decline and a 15.56% month-on-month decrease.

As of September 30, 2026, Li Auto's cumulative historical deliveries reached 1,833,651 units. The challenges of transitioning from extended-range to pure electric vehicles persist, and when Li Auto will regain its peak performance remains a question for Li Xiang to address.

Seres' global sales in September reached 30,185 units, experiencing a 10.23% year-on-year decline and a 5.32% month-on-month increase; cumulative sales from January to September were 252,213 units, marking an 8.59% year-on-year increase.

ARCFOX sold 21,518 units, representing a 33.87% year-on-year increase.

Cumulative sales from January to September this year were 135,475 units, marking a 54.28% year-on-year increase. With new products gradually entering the market, ARCFOX further solidifies its monthly sales base of 20,000 units, continuously consolidating its position as a leading player in the mainstream new energy market.

On October 1, eπ Tech announced its latest sales data.

In September 2026, eπ Tech delivered 15,995 vehicles, marking a 46% month-on-month increase; from January to September 2026, a cumulative total of 166,833 vehicles were delivered, outpacing industry trends year-on-year, with sustained breakthroughs in overseas markets and a cumulative export volume increase of 58% year-on-year.

Entering the fourth quarter, eπ Tech will usher in a period of concentrated new product launches. The '150,000-yuan-class dual flagship models for intelligent driving and comfort,' the Dongfeng Fengshen L8+ equipped with Dongfeng's self-developed Tianyuan intelligent driving and Tianyuan cockpit, the new large six-seater model from Dongfeng eπ, and the eπ 007 with comprehensive product advancements will be launched successively.

VOYAH delivered 13,025 vehicles in September, with cumulative deliveries in the first three quarters surpassing 115,000 units, marking a 19% year-on-year increase.

The overall trend is indeed steady, but compared to the top new forces, the pace is still relatively slow. Next, we'll see if the new Dreamer model, priced at over 400,000 yuan and featuring the Hongmeng cockpit and Huawei ADS 5 intelligent driving, can achieve substantial sales volumes. Whether Huawei's brand can translate into actual delivery numbers is the key test.

Overall, the differentiation among new forces intensified in September, with the traditionally strong 'Golden September' season being relatively lackluster, and the top-tier effect continuing to concentrate.

BYD continues to lead by a wide margin, with over 460,000 monthly sales firmly securing its position at the top of the market, creating a significant gap with the second tier. Leapmotor solidifies its position at the 100,000-unit threshold, breaking the 100,000-unit mark for three consecutive months and becoming a benchmark among new forces. The competition in the 300,000-400,000 yuan range is fierce. XPENG and Xiaomi have reached the 40,000-unit level; Hongmeng Intelligent Driving, NIO, and ZEEKR are closely competing, with minimal differences in rankings, entering a phase of intense competition in the second tier.

At the same time, the divergence between hot and cold segments further widened. Li Auto and Hongmeng Intelligent Driving experienced month-on-month declines, entering an adjustment period for product transitions; while second-tier brands like Seres, ARCFOX, VOYAH, and eπ Tech steadily rose, achieving positive month-on-month growth thanks to new product launches. #NIO delivered 37,408 new vehicles in September#Major automakers' September delivery volumes#Xiaomi Auto's 550,000-unit target gap##Geely Auto delivered 292,168 units in September##Hongmeng Intelligent Driving delivered 37,490 units in September