Ideal Surpasses Xiaopeng, Xiaomi Drops to Fifth

As the calendar turned over into 2025, just three weeks in, the competition within China’s renewable energy vehicle market has already hit a boiling pointThis thriving industry, which has been marked by rapid advancements and fierce rivalries, is witnessing significant shifts in the hierarchy of its players.

In the previous year, brands like Li Auto, Wanjie, and Leap Motor dominated the sales charts, but the beginning of this new year has rewritten the rules of engagement as suppliers jostle for a favorable sales position in this fast-paced market.

A report recently released by China Automotive Data Research revealed the sales rankings for the week of January 13 to 19, highlighting some intense automotive skirmishes among these new forces.

Leading the pack was Li Auto, which boasted a remarkable weekly sales figure of 9,500 units, marking a significant 25% increase from the previous periodThis commendable performance signifies the company's consecutive second week at the top of the sales leaderboard.In the prior week, it was Xpeng that secured the leading position, albeit by a narrow margin of just 300 unitsHowever, it didn't take long for Li Auto to regain momentum, overtaking Xpeng with a robust recovery on the charts.

Thus far in 2025, Li Auto's cumulative sales have reached approximately 23,800 vehicles, and if this trajectory persists over the next two weeks, the automaker is projected to break the 40,000 unit mark for January.

Trailing closely behind Li Auto was Xpeng, with a weekly tally of 9,400 units

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Xpeng is leveraging its recently introduced models, including the P7+ and MONA M03, to mount a vigorous counter-offensive in the sales arena this yearDespite falling behind, the competition between these two manufacturers remains tight, with less than 1,000 units separating their contributions.

Xpeng also boasts an aggregate sale of close to 23,800 units so far this year, putting it in lockstep with Li AutoShould both companies continue on this path, it is likely their combined sales will reach record highs by the end of the month.

Leap Motor, who emerged as a dark horse in the previous year, secured the third spot with a commendable record of 7,000 units, achieving a remarkable 34.6% increaseThis surge can be attributed to the successful introduction of competitively priced extended-range vehicles and new B-segment models, which have positioned Leap Motor as a consumer favorite in the realm of “affordable luxury” options.

In the series of weeks leading up to the present, Leap Motor has witnessed a consistent rise in sales, climbing from 4,300 units to 7,000 unitsIf this growth continues, their sales for January could cross the 30,000 mark—a feat indicative of the brand's popularity.

Rounding out the top six of the rankings are Wanjie, Xiaomi, and Deep Blue, occupying the fourth through sixth positions respectively.

Wanjie, which had been neck and neck with Li Auto last year, now finds itself falling slightly behind with a reported 6,100 units sold, trailing by 3,400 unitsHowever, the brand is poised for a resurgence with the impending launch of the Wanjie M8 in March, a model positioned strategically between their M7 and M9 series.

Xiaomi follows closely behind, tallying 5,600 units

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Although the company currently offers only the SU7 model, the anticipated arrival of the YU7 later this year is expected to catalyze further sales growth and fanfare within the automotive community.

Focusing on the mid-to-low end market, Deep Blue reports a weekly sales figure of 4,000 units, accumulating a total of 11,000 units sold this yearThe company has ambitions set firmly on hitting a sales target of 500,000 units this year with five current models on the market.

In positions seven through nine, we find Zeekr, Denz, and Zhijie battling for market share.

Remarkably, Zeekr's sales fluctuate considerably; after starting strong with 5,000 units in the first week, their figures slipped to 3,600 units in subsequent weeks, leading to a total of 11,400 units for the year thus far.

Denz has demonstrated increasing stability in sales following their product refresh last December, registering 3,400 units for the past week for a total of 8,700 units this year.

Meanwhile, the Zhijie brand, a cooperative venture between Huawei and Chery, reported 3,200 units, although their past model transitions had not yielded desired results until the introduction of the Zhijie R7, which saw a significant boost in sales.

According to data from the China Automotive Data Research, NIO recorded sales of 2,800 units for the week, placing it 10thHowever, it is important to note that this figure reflects only the NIO brand's sales, not the totality of NIO company’s performance, which had a combined total of 4,749 units sold when including its Le Dao brand, marking an impressive year-on-year growth of 145.7%. Thus far, cumulative sales for the first three weeks has seen an astonishing 13,349 units, effectively doubling last year’s figures.

In December of the previous year, NIO took advantage of its NIO DAY event to showcase its three sub-brands, each catering to different market segments, allowing for cooperative growth across its portfolio.

As the second brand under NIO, the introduction of Le Dao has raised significant expectations within the market

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