BYD strengthened its grip on China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) export market in August, while Geely made a sharp jump up the rankings and Tesla slipped to fourth.
According to a report by CnEVPost, citing data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), BYD exported 183,746 passenger NEVs during the month, giving it 35.4% of China’s NEV exports.
That was not only the largest share among Chinese automakers, but also an improvement from the 32.2% share recorded in July.
China’s Aug 2026 NEV export ranking
BYD pulls further ahead
BYD’s August exports increased 130.8% from a year earlier and were 5.8% higher than in July, showing that the company continues to build its presence outside China.
The company’s lead becomes even clearer when the year-to-date numbers are considered.
Between January and August, BYD exported 1.13 million NEVs, up 87.5% year-on-year, giving it a 33.9% share of China’s NEV exports.
That puts BYD well ahead of the rest of the market.
Geely makes the biggest move
The more striking change in August, however, came from Geely.
The automaker exported 69,910 NEVs, more than five times its level a year earlier, representing a 440.2% year-on-year increase. Exports were also up 15.4% from July.
That lifted Geely into second place, with a 13.5% share, moving up from fourth in July.
Chery followed closely behind with 68,431 exports, giving it a 13.2% share. Its exports were up 221.2% year-on-year, although they fell 17.3% from July.
The numbers show how quickly the order behind BYD is changing as Chinese automakers expand their presence in overseas markets.
Tesla loses ground
Tesla, meanwhile, went in the opposite direction.
Tesla China exported 36,119 vehicles in August, up 38.7% from a year earlier, but down sharply by 45.5% from July.
That monthly decline cut Tesla’s share of China’s NEV exports to 7.0% from 12.3% in July, pushing the company from third to fourth.
Tesla still ranked fourth over the first eight months of the year, with 331,443 vehicles exported and a 10.0% share. Its cumulative exports were nevertheless 114.7% higher than the same period last year.
China’s Jan-Aug 2026 NEV export ranking
The wider export picture
The competition becomes even more interesting when conventional petrol-powered vehicles are included alongside NEVs.
In China’s overall passenger vehicle export market, Chery took the top position in August with 193,069 vehicles, representing a 21.8% share.
BYD was close behind with 183,746 vehicles and a 20.7% share, narrowing the gap with Chery to just 1.1 percentage points, compared with 2.8 percentage points in July.
Geely ranked third with 109,375 vehicles, while SAIC Passenger Vehicle and Great Wall Motor completed the top five.
Tesla was seventh in the broader passenger vehicle export ranking, with 36,119 vehicles and a 4.1% share.
China’s Aug 2026 passenger vehicle export ranking
What the numbers are showing
The August figures show a market that is becoming more competitive, particularly among China’s NEV exporters.
BYD continues to lead by a wide margin, but the positions behind it are shifting quickly. Geely’s surge in exports moved it into second place, just ahead of Chery, while Tesla’s sharp month-on-month decline saw its share fall and pushed it down to fourth.
China’s Jan-Aug 2026 passenger vehicle export ranking
The year-to-date figures tell a similar story. BYD accounted for 33.9% of China’s NEV exports between January and August, followed by Chery with 13.3%, Geely with 12.2% and Tesla with 10.0%.
