Six Chinese Automakers Took 62.3% of Global Electrified-Vehicle Sales in H1 2026

Korea Automobile & Mobility Association’s September 14 analysis points to a clear shift in the global electrified-vehicle market: six Chinese automaker groups accounted for nearly two-thirds of worldwide sales in the first half of 2026. Their combined volume reached 5.504 million vehicles, including battery-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, and their share rose 5.1 percentage points year over year to 62.3%. 6

The six Chinese groups in the global top 10

Global electrified-vehicle sales reached 8.847 million units from January through June, up 2.6% from a year earlier. The six Chinese groups’ sales grew 11.6%, faster than the overall market. 6

Global rank	Automaker group	H1 2026 electrified-vehicle sales
1	BYD	2.290 million
2	Geely Group	1.127 million
4	SAIC Motor Group	752,000
6	Chery Automobile	579,000
7	Leapmotor	417,000
9	Changan Group	339,000

Together, these companies lifted their share of global electrified-vehicle sales from 57.2% in the first half of 2025 to 62.3% a year later. 6

The implication is not simply that one Chinese brand has become large. The top-10 positions span established conglomerates and newer EV-focused players. KAMA linked Chinese manufacturers’ expansion to price competitiveness, multi-brand strategies and faster overseas growth. 16

Global gains contrasted with weaker demand at home

The export drive came as China’s domestic passenger-vehicle market weakened. Domestic sales fell 21.1% year over year to 1.47 million vehicles in July, while exports rose 88.2% to 923,000. Exports of EVs and plug-in hybrids rose 147.8%, even as domestic sales in that segment fell 3.9%. 18

The divergence widened in August. Passenger-vehicle exports increased 77.5% year over year to 894,000 units, while domestic sales fell 23.7% to 1.55 million. 17

BYD illustrates the importance of overseas sales in this environment. It reported total August sales of 440,293 vehicles, up 17.8% year over year, while overseas shipments jumped 134.5% to 189,466. 34

Why plug-in hybrids matter in Europe

Europe is one outlet for China-built electrified vehicles, but trade policy shapes which vehicles have the clearest route to the market. The EU’s additional tariffs on China-made vehicles target battery-electric vehicles rather than plug-in hybrids, creating a relative advantage for PHEV exports. 24

That distinction gives exporters an incentive to vary their mix by market. A broader lineup across brands and powertrains can help manufacturers offer battery-electric models where the economics work while using plug-in hybrids in markets where tariff treatment is more favorable. The available reporting supports this market-level pattern, but it does not provide a complete manufacturer-by-manufacturer breakdown of PHEV shipments to Europe.

Manufacturers are also building overseas scale. BYD management indicated that it expects overseas shipments of 1.9 million to 2 million vehicles in 2026 and more than 2.5 million in 2027, while evaluating additional overseas production locations. 33

Could China export more than 10 million vehicles in 2026?

The threshold was mathematically within reach by late summer. China exported 7.153 million vehicles in the first eight months of 2026, up 66.7% year over year and already above the 7.1 million exported in all of 2025. August alone contributed 1.01 million vehicle exports. 22

To exceed 10 million in 2026, exports would need to add roughly 2.85 million vehicles from September through December—an average of about 712,000 per month. That is below August’s 1.01 million total, so the target was plausible based on the pace through August. 22

Still, it was a projection, not a guaranteed outcome. Trade restrictions, logistics constraints and softer demand in destination markets could slow shipments. What KAMA’s first-half results establish is the foundation behind that export momentum: China’s leading automakers had already secured extraordinary scale across the global electrified-vehicle market. 6