# China auto market
Latest news and articles about China auto market
Total: 8 articles found
China’s January Auto Scorecard: Xiaomi Tops the EV Upstarts as the Industry Shifts to a ‘Financial War’
January 2026 sales data show Xiaomi Auto leading China’s electric‑vehicle upstarts with over 39,000 deliveries while BYD retained dominance with roughly 210,000 NEV sales. Facing soft seasonality and fading tax incentives, automakers have shifted from price cuts to long‑tenor, low‑interest finance offers — a developing “financial war” that stimulates demand but raises credit and regulatory risks.
Leapmotor Posts 27% Year‑on‑Year Rise in January Deliveries as China EV Demand Shows Early Momentum
Leapmotor delivered 32,059 vehicles in January, a 27% year‑on‑year increase, signaling early‑year demand momentum for the Chinese EV maker. The rise is encouraging for a smaller independent rival, but sustaining growth while protecting margins will be the key challenge amid intense domestic competition.
Xiaomi Auto Clears More Than 39,000 Deliveries in January — A Rapid Rise for the Tech Giant’s EV Push
Xiaomi Auto said it delivered over 39,000 vehicles in January 2026, a substantial monthly volume for a recent entrant to China’s EV market. The result suggests Xiaomi has achieved meaningful scale, but sustaining profitable growth will hinge on product quality, after-sales operations and market positioning amid fierce competition.
Xiaomi’s SU7 Gets Its First Facelift — A Test of Whether the EV Hype Can Become Durable Growth
Xiaomi is refreshing the SU7 sedan 21 months after its launch, raising prices slightly while adding advanced sensors and compute to catch up with rivals. The facelift reflects a strategic shift from single‑model blitzes to a broader, systemised approach amid internal product cannibalisation, production mismatches and a more discerning Chinese EV market.
Chery Enters Electric Pickup Race with RELY R08 EV, Backed by an Energy-and-Services Alliance
Chery’s RELY brand launched its first pure‑electric pickup, the R08 EV, priced at RMB 127,800–158,800 and offered in two trims. The company also formed a “Qilin Power Ecological Alliance” to integrate energy supply, smart‑agriculture tools and engineering equipment, underscoring a shift toward vehicle‑plus‑services strategies in the electric pickup market.
China’s January Car Retail Slumps Month-on-Month but EVs Now Nearly Half the Market
January retail sales of China’s narrow passenger-car market are estimated at about 1.8 million units, down 20.4% from December but roughly flat year-on-year. NEVs made up around 800,000 of those sales, reaching a 44.4% retail penetration and underscoring the swift structural shift toward electrified vehicles.
Two Troubled Chinese Automakers Double Down on Huawei, Pledging R&D After a Combined ¥60bn Loss
BAIC BluePark and Anhui Jianghuai expect a combined net loss of at least ¥60 billion for 2025 but are responding by committing over ¥113 billion to joint projects with Huawei’s automotive software and solutions. The strategy mirrors the profitable Huawei partnership seen at Seres, but risks include dependence on a shared platform and dilution of differentiation as more OEMs adopt Huawei’s stack.
Lei Jun Rolls Out 7‑Year Low‑Interest Plan for Xiaomi’s YU7 as He Pushes Back on Negative Headlines
Lei Jun used a livestream to announce a seven‑year low‑interest financing option for Xiaomi’s YU7, enabling down payments under RMB 50,000, and urged against negative media coverage after a spate of critical stories about Xiaomi’s cars. The move aims to lower purchase barriers and counter second‑hand market narratives but carries margin and financing risks for the company as it scales in the competitive Chinese EV market.