The Chinese automobile market in April 2026 handed over a very historic answer. According to the latest data released by the China Passenger Car Association, the retail penetration rate of new energy in the domestic passenger car market exceeded the 60% mark for the first time, reaching an astonishing 61.4%. This means that for every 10 new cars sold, more than 6 are new energy vehicles, and the structural differentiation of "fuel-cold and new-energy hot" is a foregone conclusion. In this turbulent wave of electrification, the performance of major leading car companies can be described as some happy and some sad. BYD, with its solid fundamentals and explosive export growth, has once again demonstrated its industry dominance as "the king returns".
BYD: Internal and external dual drive, firmly occupying the top spot
In the past April, BYD continued to lead the industry with monthly sales of 321,100 vehicles. Although the domestic retail side faced certain year-on-year pressure due to the high base last year, BYD quickly found new growth poles through overseas markets. Data show that BYD's overseas sales in April reached 134,500 vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 70.9%, setting a new high for the brand's single-month exports, with exports accounting for close to 42% of total sales. From the popular national models of the Dynasty and Ocean series, to the high-end breakthroughs of the Denza and Fangbao, to the full bloom of overseas markets, BYD has built a set of systematic competitiveness that is difficult to replicate.
Chery and Geely: Exports soar and independent rise
In addition to BYD, traditional independent brands are also accelerating their transformation. Chery Group's total sales in April exceeded 250,000 vehicles, of which exports reached an astonishing 177,600 vehicles, a year-on-year increase of more than 100%, making it the "disruption leader" for Chinese automobile brands to go overseas. Geely Auto also performed well, with total sales in April reaching 235,000 vehicles, new energy penetration rate approaching 60%, and overseas exports doubling for four consecutive months. Independent brands are using technological dividends and industrial chain advantages to completely rewrite the competitive landscape of the global automobile market.
New force camp: Zero run to the top, Xiaomi breaks the situation
On the new power track, the landscape has also undergone a drastic reshuffle. Relying on the ultimate cost-effectiveness brought by self-research in all areas, Leapmotor delivered more than 71,000 vehicles in April. Not only did it set a new high in the brand's history, it also surpassed its ideals in one fell swoop and firmly ranked first among new forces in sales. At the same time, cross-border player Xiaomi Motors easily exceeded 30,000 vehicles delivered in April with just one model, the SU7, demonstrating its terrifying traffic conversion capabilities. In addition, brands such as Hongmeng Zhixing and Jikrypton also rely on Huawei's smart driving ecosystem or high-end pure electric positioning to firmly occupy the first echelon of market segments.
The ebb of joint ventures: the final struggle of fuel vehicles
In sharp contrast to the popularity of independent brands, mainstream joint venture brands are experiencing a "cliff-like" decline. In April, domestic retail sales of mainstream joint venture brands plummeted 37% year-on-year, and their market share was further compressed to less than 20%. Fuel-powered cars such as the Lavida and Sylphy that once dominated the list have now fallen out of the top ten sales, replaced by new energy models such as Geely Xingyuan, Xiaomi SU7, and Tesla Model Y. Under the double attack of high oil prices and intelligent experience, the moats of joint venture brands are quickly disappearing.