Sales Surpass Japanese Cars, Six Months Later, Which Chinese Car Company Holds Overseas Influence?

Japanese automakers have felt panic in global competition for the first time.

The first half of 2026 has passed. With more statistical reports emerging, Chinese automakers have created a string of new records. Among them, in ACEA European Association of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers' May statistics, among 31 major countries in Europe, BYD, SAIC, Geely, Chery, and Leapmotor totaled sales of 138,400 new cars, a year-on-year increase of 65%. This surpassed the total of six Japanese brands by more than 5%. Toyota, Nissan, Suzuki, Mazda, Honda, and Mitsubishi totaled 130,400 vehicles, a year-on-year decrease of 3%.

In another statistical perspective, in the narrow EU 27 markets, the month-on-month increase in new car registrations for the 5 major Chinese auto companies in May reached over 60%. Under different perspectives, Chinese auto companies have surpassed Japanese auto companies for the first time in history.

Undoubtedly, the value of this data is clearly higher than before. Because this is not just a comparison in numbers, but a hard confrontation in the world's third-largest market.

Three Tiers, Who Holds the New Overseas Influence?

Not only did they create records collectively, but each automaker also refreshed their upper limits.

Chery Auto, overseas sales account for more than 70% of the group's total sales, and has broken the record for single-month Chinese car exports for 4 consecutive months, additionally single-month exports exceeded 190,000 units for the first time;

BYD Auto, single-month passenger car and pickup overseas sales were 174,900 units, refreshing its internal corporate record, closely chasing Chery;

Geely Auto, first breaking 100,000 units in single-month overseas sales for the first time, 102,900 units in June, and the growth rate is very terrifying. The overseas new energy vehicle sales for the first half of 2026 were 277,200 units, a year-on-year growth rate of 585%;

Changan China, the overseas sales ratio is also gradually increasing. Taking June as an example, total sales were 201,900 units, overseas sales were 91,000 units, occupying nearly half the performance;

Great Wall Motor, the overseas sales ratio has also started to reach around 50%. Overseas sales for the first half of the year were 291,400 units, nearly 50% of total sales of 583,800;

SAIC Group, also refreshed its own sales record in Europe. Among them, the MG brand continued to take the title of European sales champion for Chinese brands, a record held for 11 years.

Aside from traditional large factories, new force automakers are also in a rapid upward trend now.

Leapmotor Auto, overseas sales for the first half of the year were nearly 100,000 units, currently exceeding its 2025 full-year number, and also starting to surpass XPeng Auto to take the top spot in new force overseas sales;

XPeng Auto, overseas sales are rising month by month. Taking June as an example, overseas deliveries can exceed 8,000. Its sales target for the full year of 2026 is set at 90,000 to 100,000 units;

So, from a numerical perspective, Chinese automakers in the overseas market are currently divided into three tiers:

The first tier, Chery is in the lead. Overseas sales 943,800 units, Chinese cars' history half-year export first exceeds 900,000 units. BYD ranks second, half-year overseas sales nearly 790,000 units. SAIC Group ranks third, half-year sales over 730,000 units;

Between the second tier and the first tier, the magnitude differs by about 50%. Geely Auto, sales for the first half of 2026 exceeded 470,000 units. What is worth noting is that its growth is very fast, and full-year sales are expected to exert pressure on SAIC Group. Changan's half-year overseas sales were 402,000 units, and Great Wall Motor's half-year overseas sales were 291,000 units.

The third tier is Leapmotor Auto and XPeng Auto. Leapmotor is expected to expand dealer numbers to 500 in the full year of 2026. XPeng has already expanded overseas sales and service networks to 380 stores in 60 countries and regions. Both are expected to quickly narrow the gap with the second tier.

From a model perspective, Chery's current export sales champion is mainly fuel SUVs Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8. BYD's first half export sales champion is Yuan PLUS, actually BYD Dolphin.

Geely's export sales champion is Geely Galaxy Starship 7, Geely EX2 (Xingyuan in domestic). Changan's sales champions first include the fuel base of CS55PLUS and CS75PLUS, followed by the new energy segment's Deepal S05 speed in Southeast Asia is not low. Great Wall Motor's main sales model is Haval H6, Great Wall Cannon. Leapmotor's current sales champion is Leapmotor T03, XPeng Auto's sales champion is XPeng G6.

Further considering the dimension of regions and countries, competition intensity is lower than the domestic Chinese market, basically in a low friction intensity, simply put, market focus temporarily does not overlap much. The king of the Middle East is Chery, the king of Eastern Europe is Great Wall, BYD currently holds discourse power in the Brazilian market, the European market sales champion is currently MG Motors, but next as BYD's Hungarian factory is expected to go into operation in the fourth quarter, the 2027 sales champion may change hands.

Although MG is a British brand, consumer cognition is relatively good, but BYD's promotion speed is very terrifying. It is expected that by the end of 2026, it will double compared to the end of 2025, that is, around 2,000 sales points in Europe.

Additionally, Chery Auto is also actively adjusting its strategic deployment. Among them, in the first half of 2026, a pattern of surpassing the Middle East market in the European market has already formed.

So, in summary, Chery, Great Wall, and Changan each hold fuel car discourse power in different markets. BYD, Geely, and MG Motors respectively hold discourse power in different regional sub-segments in pure electric and plug-in hybrid aspects.

Not Just a Fight Over Numbers, Nor Just About Face

The reason why the overseas market grows so rapidly is actually a necessary stage. Early European cars, American cars, Japanese cars, and Korean cars also experienced similar processes. Because all emerging markets will turn from incremental markets to stock markets. To sustain development, automakers need to expand outward. This is not just about manufacturing, the Internet or AI industries are the same.

Of course, the discourse power currently mastered can only mean how the current performance is, it does not mean the trend of 2027 and subsequent.

So, to view the overseas potential of Chinese automakers more profoundly, there is actually a general conclusion mainly around factories (or overseas capacity), sales, and service networks.

Chery Auto, overseas has 10 KD assembly plants, dealer numbers exceed 1,500, dealer outlets nearly 3,000. Additionally, taking over Nissan's Sunderland plant in England is expected to start production as early as April 2027.

BYD Auto, planned up to 13 factories overseas at most, currently put into production in Thailand, Brazil, Uzbekistan. On dealer outlets, based on existing information, by the end of 2026 it is expected to have over 2,500. For the second factory in Europe, currently in the final stage of site selection and decision, some of its senior management accepted interviews stating that personally they prefer acquiring existing idle factories in Europe.

SAIC Group, currently has 4 major manufacturing bases overseas (Thailand, Indonesia, India, etc.). The planned first manufacturing factory in Europe is expected to start production at the end of 2028. On dealer outlets, over 3,000.

Geely Auto, has 20 overseas factories globally, overseas sales and service outlets number over 1,100.

Changan China, has built 9 overseas factories, plans 20 overseas factories, global dealer outlets plan over 14,000.

Great Wall Motor, overseas owns 16 factories, overseas sales channels over 1,500.

Leapmotor Auto, currently Leapmotor International Poland factory has been put into production. 2026 to expand strategic cooperation in Europe, seeking to take over Spain's dual factories, overseas sales and service outlets about 950, 85% layout in Europe.

XPeng Auto, production through Magna in Austria, overseas layout 380 stores.

So the final conclusion is, on planning, the largest scale is Changan China. On efficiency, the best currently are BYD, Chery, and SAIC Group. On potential, the largest are Geely Auto, Leapmotor Auto.

Actually, all of the above is not just who takes their own territory first, but also the explicit exports following the competition in battery, motor, and electronic control systems and intelligence in the Chinese market. And these will further return and support the domestic market.

The explicit advantage is, after experiencing more complex road conditions and usage situations, the maturity of the products is expected to upgrade very quickly in the facelift. For example, the usage environment in Southeast Asia is high temperature and humidity, the UK market's usage environment is cold and damp, the Brazilian market's usage environment is poor road conditions and humidity, and Eastern Europe market is cold and relatively poor road conditions.

Actually, since the first round of large-scale going out, there has been a great feedback on product stability. For example, Great Wall Motor currently has a very tough reputation on quality, Wei Jianjun also has the confidence to shout "Rest Assured" in the launch event.

Of course, besides this, there is also upgrade space in battery, motor, electronic control systems and AI. On battery, motor, electronic control, for example, in many areas of Italy, charging facilities are not perfect. On intelligence, we have to wait for data and regulations to be gradually released. Currently, domestic systems have the opportunity to upgrade further.

Then, overseas markets can solve homogenization and price war and other related problems to a certain extent. For example, in the European market, more and more Chinese automakers are tuning out different designs that meet local aesthetics. Again, for a model like pickup trucks, BYD has started to figure out the way in the Latin American market.

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However, the challenges ahead are not just about price, technology, value-for-money, and other basic topics.

For example, European consumers recently collectively focus on 2 topics. One is the residual value of vehicles, and the other is the speed of new car launches. On residual value, European users prefer leasing, generally after a 2-4 year usage process, renewing a new model with upgrades. So, if the update speed of new cars is as high frequency as in the Chinese market, it has already suppressed the desire to buy outright.

Also, relatively homogenized models will also trigger consumer anxiety. Similarly taking European consumers as an example, recently after XPeng MONA L03 pre-sale, it triggered many discussions on whether to choose XPeng G6.

Additionally, related hot topics include fulfillment capabilities. The OTA plan announced at the launch event, obviously cannot be like what happens around you and me, otherwise on sales it will be talked about word of mouth.