BYD’s passenger vehicle sales fell for the eighth month in a row in April, as tougher competition in China’s electric vehicle market helped rivals such as Leapmotor and Zeekr post record monthly deliveries.
The Shenzhen-based company said on Sunday that it delivered 314,100 new energy passenger vehicles last month, including battery electric and plug-in hybrid models. That was 15.7% lower than a year earlier, although it marked a 6.2% increase from March, according to CNBC’s records.
BYD’s exports, by contrast, reached a record 135,098 vehicles in April, according to a Hong Kong Stock Exchange filing. That was more than 70% higher than a year earlier, based on CNBC’s calculations. The gap between weaker sales at home and stronger overseas demand underscores how much the company is relying on international markets as price pressure intensifies in China.
The latest figures follow a disappointing first quarter for BYD. In April, the automaker reported that profit had fallen by nearly 55.4% year on year, while operating revenue declined 11.8% to 150 billion yuan as domestic rivals delivered stronger results in the same period.
Leapmotor, which is backed by Stellantis and is now China’s second-largest EV maker, reported its highest-ever monthly deliveries in April. It delivered 71,387 vehicles, up 73.9% from the same month a year earlier. The company previously reached a monthly peak in November 2025 and posted its first annual profit last year.
Zeekr, Geely’s premium EV brand, also set a new record, delivering 31,787 vehicles in April. That represented a 131.6% increase from a year earlier.
Xiaomi delivered more than 30,000 EVs in April, up more than 7.1% from the same period last year. The company has also reportedly received more than 70,000 pre-orders for its updated SU7 sedan.
Nio delivered 29,356 vehicles in April, a 22.8% increase from a year earlier, including sales from its lower-priced Onvo and Firefly brands. Li Auto reported 34,085 deliveries, up 0.4% year on year. Xpeng was another company to post a decline, with deliveries falling 11.5% to 31,011 vehicles after it launched its new GX SUV mid-month.
BYD has been pushing more aggressively overseas and plans to export more than one million vehicles in 2026. It already holds a dominant share in parts of Latin America and has seen registrations surge in Europe, the EU, the European Free Trade Association, and the UK.