China's Electric Vehicle Market: Tesla Model Y Dominates Sales in December
In December, Tesla's Model Y emerged as the top-selling vehicle in China, outperforming its competitors across all powertrain types. Despite its higher price tag compared to similar models, the Model Y's popularity remains strong in the world's largest electric vehicle (EV) market.
All 2025 versions of the Model Y were sold out by early December, including the recently introduced six-seat Model Y L. The SUV variant accounted for 66,189 of the total vehicle sales in the final month of the year, according to data from China's Passenger Car Association (CPCA).
Tesla's Model 3 sedan secured the 10th position, with 30,982 units sold. The Model Y's starting price is 263,500 yuan, equivalent to $37,700, and it is available in Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) with standard and long-range trims, as well as All-Wheel Drive (AWD) Long Range, starting at 313,500 yuan.
In August 2025, Tesla launched the six-seat Model Y L, with deliveries commencing the following month. The three-row SUV is priced at 339,000 yuan ($48,500). As of Friday, orders for the entry-level Model Y RWD have an estimated delivery time of one to three weeks, while other variants are expected within four to six weeks, and Model Y L orders are anticipated in two to four weeks.
Tesla China is currently offering a 0% APR financing option on five-year contracts, available until January 31.
BYD's Song Series: A Close Contender
The BYD Song series secured the second position, with 55,107 units registered. The 2025 Song Plus EV is priced approximately 100,000 yuan lower than the Model Y, at 149,800 yuan ($21,450). Both the Song Plus and Song Pro models are available in plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and fully electric (BEV) versions, but BYD sold about 10,000 fewer Song SUVs than Tesla in the last month of 2025.
BYD also offers the premium Song L in both hybrid and electric versions, along with the more affordable Yuan Up and Yuan Plus SUVs, the Sealion series, and the Qin. Most of these models have ranked among the top 20 best-selling vehicles due to their competitive pricing, with most models priced below 200,000 yuan ($28,600).
Xiaomi's YU7: A Rising Star
Xiaomi launched its highly anticipated YU7 SUV in late June, with deliveries starting in July. The model, priced at 253,500 yuan ($36,300), set a new industry record with over 240,000 locked-in orders in just 18 hours. Despite initial estimated delivery times of up to 52 weeks for its SU7 model, Xiaomi struggled to meet the strong demand for the new YU7.
In December, YU7 deliveries surged to 39,089 units, making it the 5th best-selling vehicle in China. According to a statement published last week, the SU7 led cumulative sales in the over-200,000 yuan sedan segment in 2025, while its YU7 has topped mid-to-large SUV sales for four consecutive months.
Three-Row Segment: A Growing Market
In July, several brands, including Onvo and Li Auto, introduced three-row SUVs to the Chinese market. The Onvo L90, positioned in the family segment, is priced at 299,800 yuan ($42,900) and available in both six-seat and seven-seat versions. The price includes the battery, and it lowers to 213,800 yuan ($30,600) with the Battery as a Service (BaaS) system.
The Onvo L90 led registrations of the Nio Group in 2025, with over 30,000 units listed in its first three months. In September, Nio launched the third-generation ES8, breaking company records with outstanding demand, quickly selling out its 2025 production allocation of 40,000 units.
In December alone, over 20,000 ES8 units were delivered, ranking 20th among all vehicles sold in China. The Nio ES8 is priced from 308,800 yuan ($44,200) with BaaS and 406,800 yuan ($58,250) with the battery included.
