China EV Makers' Sales Bolstered by Overseas Demand

By Kimberley Kao

Chinese electric-vehicle makers reported mostly higher sales last month as overseas demand helped offset a softer domestic market.

BYD remained the top seller, with deliveries rising 5.5% to 403,472 units in June, its second month of increased sales. The company exported 175,349 new-energy vehicles, a category that includes battery EVs and plug-in hybrids, up a sharp 95% from a year earlier.

NIO was among the strongest performers, recording a 63% jump in deliveries to 40,597 vehicles.

Geely Automobile's total vehicle sales edged 2% higher to 240,799 units. Zeekr, Geely's premium EV brand, more than doubled sales to 35,169 cars, while Lynk & Co sales fell 28%.

XPeng delivered 40,126 vehicles in June, a 16% increase from a year earlier, while Li Auto's sales fell 15% to 30,895 units.

Xiaomi said its deliveries exceeded 30,000 units in June.

The monthly sales figures come as demand remains subdued in the world's largest EV market.

With local demand still muted, exports are supporting the entire China auto industry, Nomura research analysts said in a note.

The analysts noted that market players are shifting from price competition to technology competition with brand recognition, meaning companies could have a harder time winning over customers. Consumers, meanwhile, are shifting from impulse buying to reason-driven purchases, they wrote.

Nomura said it expects the local market to continue experiencing a double-digit decline in demand for the rest of the year, with overseas demand providing support.

Shares of Chinese EV makers were broadly higher on Thursday. BYD advanced 8.8% in Hong Kong, while XPeng gained 2.4% and NIO fell 2.8%. Li Auto rose 3.4% and Geely Automobile was up by 3.6%. Xiaomi climbed 4.8%.

Write to Kimberley Kao at kimberley.kao@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 02, 2026 00:45 ET (04:45 GMT)