China’s electric vehicle (EV) sector recorded a strong rebound in August as sales recovered from a mid-year slump, as per a CNBC report.
Leading automakers BYD, Nio, Xpeng, and Leapmotor posted delivery records following a challenging period of price cuts and intense competition.
The upturn signals renewed demand after months of volatility, with several new model launches and sub-brand expansions driving momentum.
Meanwhile, some companies struggled with declining deliveries amid public controversies.
The August numbers highlight how pricing strategies, product innovation, and brand perception continue to shape China’s crowded EV market.
BYD, China’s largest EV maker, shipped 371,501 vehicles in August. That marked nearly 22% growth compared with the same period a year earlier.
The figure underlined BYD’s ability to hold ground in the price war that unsettled the market during the summer.
Nio sets new record with 31,305 shipments
Nio reached a new monthly record with 31,305 deliveries in August. This marked a sharp recovery after July’s slowdown.
Much of the growth came from its family-focused sub-brand Onvo, which made 16,434 deliveries in August compared with just 5,976 in July.
Alongside this, Nio opened pre-orders for its ES8 SUV, priced from 308,800 yuan ($43,305), with deliveries also scheduled for later this month.
Leapmotor and Xpeng post all-time highs
Leapmotor delivered 57,066 vehicles in August, up 88% year on year and an increase on July’s 50,129 units.
The surge followed the July 24 launch of the B01 model, which sold more than 10,000 units in its first month.
Sales were further supported by a new colour release of the B10 model.
This was Leapmotor’s strongest monthly growth since March, when deliveries climbed from 25,287 in February to 37,095.
Xpeng also reported a record month with 37,709 deliveries in August.
Its new P7 model, launched on 28 August, was priced competitively from 219,800 yuan.
The lower price point positioned it among the most affordable EVs in the market, fuelling strong early demand.
Mixed results for other EV makers
Xiaomi maintained over 30,000 deliveries in August, though the company did not disclose exact figures.
The result followed momentum from the YU7 SUV launch in July.
Geely-owned Zeekr recorded 17,626 sales in August, slightly above July’s 16,977 units after plateauing in earlier months.
Li Auto, however, marked its third consecutive month of decline, delivering 28,529 vehicles in August versus 30,731 in July.
The fall came despite the launch of its Li i8 model on 29 July.
The company faced criticism after a video showed a collision test between the Li i8 and a truck from Dongfeng Liuzhou.
Online backlash suggested the test conditions were unfair.
Although Li Auto initially defended the marketing strategy, it later issued an apology to the truck maker.
Huawei-backed Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance, which includes brands Aito, Chery, and Maextro, also saw weaker results.
The alliance delivered 44,579 vehicles in August, down from 47,752 in July. No brand-specific breakdown was released.
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