China’s electric vehicle market continued its downward spiral in April, as both battery-electric and plug-in hybrid sales lost ground compared to the same period last year, according to the latest data from EV Volumes. The overall decline came despite April representing the best month so far in 2026 for BEVs and PHEVs in terms of volume and year-on-year performance.
A total of 580,303 BEVs were sold in April, a 4.4% drop from April 2025. Between January and April, 1,752,462 all-electric units were registered, an 18.1% decline.
The PHEV market fared worse.
247,510 units sold in April represented a 33.2% year-on-year slump, and the four-month tally of 881,436 was down 35.5%.
Geely model climbs to the top of the BEV chart
The Geely Geome Xingyuan became the best-selling BEV in April, a notable shift from its slower start in early 2026.
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It posted 35,249 sales, capturing 6.1% of the all-electric market.
Its share increased by 0.1 percentage point, though its volume fell 2.8% compared to April 2025. Second place went to the Xiaomi SU7, which entered the monthly top 10 for the first time this year. It delivered 26,768 units, down 6.4% year on year, with a 4.6% market share. Its sibling, the Xiaomi YU7, dropped out of the monthly top 10 entirely.
The Tesla Model Y took third with 23,206 sales, a 16.1% increase from April 2025.
Its share rose by 0.7 points to 4%.
Meanwhile, Tesla’s Model 3 remained outside the top 50 best-selling BEVs for the second month this year.
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BYD models dominate the top ranks in groups
Four of the top 10 BEVs in April were from BYD.
The Sealion 06 led the pack at 17,339 deliveries for a 3% share. It was followed by the Yuan Up with 15,884 sales (down 1% year on year) and the Dolphin, which surged 53.5% to 14,312 units.
The Li Auto I6 held fourth place with 20,986 sales, continuing its streak in the top four. The Qiyuan Q05 entered at eighth with a record 13,763 units in its eighth month on market. The Nio ES8 slipped to ninth at 13,524 sales, and the Xpeng M03 rounded out the 10th spot with 12,941 deliveries, down 8.9%. The Tesla Model Y still leads the cumulative BEV standings after four months, with 105,309 units for a 6% share. The Geely Geome Xingyuan jumped to second at 92,398, narrowing the gap to just under 13,000. The Xiaomi YU7 dropped to third with 81,588 sales and 4.7% share.
Fang Cheng Bao leads a struggling PHEV segment
In the PHEV market, the Fang Cheng Bao Tai 7 topped the monthly chart for the fourth consecutive month, with 12,901 sales for a 5.2% share.
It held a narrow 199-unit lead over second-place BYD Song Pro.
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The BYD Song Pro recorded 12,702 deliveries. The Song Pro’s volume dropped 10.9% year on year, though its share rose 1.3 points. BYD placed five models in the PHEV top 10 in April, but most showed sharp declines.
The Qin Plus fell 46.5% to third, the BYD Seal 6 dropped 48.8% to fifth, and the Song L and Qin L posted drops of 56.2% and 60.2%, respectively.
The Zeekr 9X took fourth with 9,302 units.
The Aito M7 rose 62.7% to sixth with 6,549 sales.
The Wey Gaoshan surged 1,732.6% to seventh, and the Li Auto L6 fell 67.9% to eighth. Cumulatively, the Fang Cheng Bao Tai 7 leads with 55,578 units, a 6.3% share, holding an 11,103-unit lead over the BYD Song Pro at 44,475. The BYD Qin Plus jumped into third at 32,779 sales.