Geely Auto beats BYD sales in first 2 months of 2026 to become China’s top carmaker

Geely Auto has gained the upper hand in mainland China’s intensifying automotive sector, as its diverse product line-up pays off after electric vehicle (EV) king BYD suffered a setback following partial withdrawal of a tax break.Controlled by Chinese billionaire Li Shufu, Geely overtook BYD in sales during the first two months of the year because of its vehicles’ quality and reliability, even as Beijing intensified efforts to curb price competition among carmakers, according to analysts.“Industry champions attract more [loyalty] and their products are often viewed by consumers as best in class,” said Eric Han, a senior manager at Shanghai consultancy Suolei. “Competition between Geely and BYD this year could redraw the landscape of China’s automotive industry.”Geely, which builds petrol and electric cars under brands including Zeekr, Lynk and Galaxy, delivered 476,327 units in January and February to domestic and overseas buyers, an increase of 1 per cent from a year earlier, data from the carmaker showed.Geely’s sales of electric vehicles (EV) jumped 10.1 per cent year on year to 241,740 units in the same period.The small year-on-year gain was enough to help the carmaker, based in east China’s Zhejiang province, leapfrog Shenzhen-headquartered BYD, whose sales in the first two months of the year plunged 35.8 per cent from a year earlier to 400,241 units.