China’s BYD breaks delivery growth streak as EV price war reshapes competition
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While other major Chinese electric vehicle makers, including Li Auto and Nio, also reported a drop in July deliveries.
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August 4, 2025
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In this article9868-HK1810-HK285-HK2015-HK9866-HKZKSTLA1127-SZ your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNTDespite a July slowdown, BYD retains its lead in China's competitive EV market.Anna Barclay | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesChina's largest EV maker BYD posted its first monthly dery decline this year, amid stiff competition from a price war that has attracted attention from policymakers in Beijing.While other major Chinese electric vehicle makers, including Li Auto and Nio, also reported a drop in July deries, Xpeng shipped a record number of EVs in July
There were also bright spots in Xiaomi, Leapmotor and Aito, which recorded month-over-month growth.BYD shipped 341,030 units in July — down from 377,628 in June — marking its first monthly decline this year and nearly flat from the same period last year
The dip comes after months of steady growth since the initial 296,446 deries in January.The behemoth discounted several of its lower-end battery-only and hybrid models by around 30% in May, mpting other automakers to suit
As the price war intensified, China's top leaders have issued warnings in recent months to halt the excessive competition.Li Auto reported 30,731 units in July, down from 36,279 in June and a decline of 39.7% year over year
This was its second consecutive monthly decline and among the steepest across Chinese EV makers.Nio also recorded a sharp drop in July deries, with 21,017 units — down from 24,925 in June, which had marked a year-high
On a year-over-year basis, it was down 2.7%, with drops across all of its three main duct lines.Both Li Auto and Nio launched new models on July 31
Li Auto's first pure electric sport utility vehicle, the Li i8, comes in three variations, priced between 321,800 and 369,800 yuan ($44,700 and $51,400)
It is scheduled to begin deries on Aug 20.Nio's new SUV model, the L90, is priced at 265,800 yuan or 179,800 yuan with battery subscription
Deries for the six-seater began on August 1, with the seven-seater version scheduled for late September.Rivals post record gainsMeanwhile, Xiaomi reported more than 30,000 electric vehicle deries this month, up from 25,000 in June -- its strongest growth since March
This growth ed the launch of its YU7 SUV in early July.Xpeng, continuing its winning streak, dered a record 36,717 units in July — a modest increase from June and its ninth consecutive month of shipments exceeding 30,000 vehicles
On July 30, the company announced that its second-generation Xiaopeng P7 sedan would debut in China on Aug 6.The Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance, which is backed by Chinese nology giant Huawei and includes brands such as Aito, Chery and Maextro, also announced that it shipped 47,752 units in July
A majority of its combined EV sales were attributed to Aito's Wenjie series, which dered 40,753 cars.Leapmotor, backed by European auto giant Stellantis, dered 50,129 units in July
This is its highest monthly sales to date, continuing a steady growth trajectory.In contrast, deries of Zeekr were flat in July
The Geely-owned company shipped 16,977 vehicles, nearly mirroring its performance in June.Read more CNBC China coverageChina's EV price war is heating up
What's behind the big discounts?Involution or evolution? China wants to stop the EV price war, but analysts are doubtfulChina's deflationary slide is worsening as companies spiral into price wars
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