The tectonic rearrangement of trade forces in Asia is already a fact, after the sales data for the passenger car market in August registered the absolute dominance of electrified drives. Nine of the ten best-selling models in the country have a fully electric system, with electric vehicles finally taking the top positions. The only semi-exception in the top ten remains the hybrid crossover BYD Fang Cheng Bao Ti7, which also offers variants with a gasoline engine. Even with this model, however, the purely electric version turns out to be the preferred choice, attracting over half (55%) of buyers.
Traditional vehicles, relying solely on internal combustion, remained completely outside the prestigious top ten for the second consecutive month. The highest-ranked representative of conventional technologies turned out to be the Toyota Corolla, occupying a modest 13th place with 14,675 units sold.
In the upper echelons of the ranking, the second best-selling electric car for the month was the Leapmotor A10 with 30,652 registrations, followed by a close result of the Tesla Model Y with 29,260 units. The American manufacturer Tesla stands out as the only foreign brand with a double presence in the top 10 – through its popular Model Y crossover in third place and the Model 3 sedan in sixth position with 20,787 sales.
The month also brought shifts for the technology giant Xiaomi. The Xiaomi SU7 sedan, which held the prestigious fourth position in July, has slipped to 10th place, while the new Xiaomi YU7 crossover is positioned in 19th position with 13,635 units sold.
The expanded “Top 20” ranking still includes a total of five models relying on internal combustion engines or traditional hybrid systems. These include the Toyota Corolla Cross, Geely Starray, Volkswagen Lavida, Toyota RAV4 and Geely Monjaro, with the classic Lavida remaining the only sedan representative in this segment. The shift in demand is hitting the former bestsellers Volkswagen Lavida and Nissan Sylphy the hardest. Cars that were once firmly anchored in the top five with sales of over 20,000 units are now barely hanging on around 25th place, with the Japanese Sylphy falling to 23rd place with 12,227 units sold.
Here is the ranking of the ten best-selling cars in China (August):
Geely Xingyuan (EX2) – 39,651 units
Leapmotor A10 – 30,652 units
Tesla Model Y – 29,260 units
BYD Fang Cheng Bao Ti7 – 23,471 units
BYD Yuan Up (Atto 2) – 22,958 units
Tesla Model 3 – 20,787 units
Changan Qiyuan Q05 – 17,349 units
Li Auto i6 – 16,979 units
BYD Dolphin – 16,829 units
Xiaomi SU7 – 16,518 units