Chinese automakers' overseas story on July 22 belongs to BYD, which pushed its localization playbook onto three continents at once — a manufacturing milestone in Brazil, a brand-building deal in Europe, and a fresh market entry in Japan — while XPeng followed through on its Munich launch and the EU moved closer to taxing Chinese plug-in hybrids.

Exports and overseas output: 15 automakers

Subsidiary brands are consolidated into their parent groups. “Export” means exports from China; “total” means overseas volume that may include local output when the source does not split the two. A dash marks an undisclosed month; an incomplete YTD is explicitly shown as a disclosed-month subtotal. Blue figures link to their original sources.

Traditional auto groups (10)

BYD2025 FULL YEAR1,046,083overseas total · unsplit2026 YTD792,256overseas total · unsplitJan–6 cumulative
Jan100,482totalFeb100,600totalMar120,083totalApr135,098totalMay160,644totalJun175,349total
 
Geely2025 FULL YEAR420,097exports from China2026 YTD474,228exports from ChinaJan–6 cumulative
Jan60,506exportFeb60,879exportMar81,639exportApr83,186exportMay85,144exportJun102,874export
 
Chery2025 FULL YEAR1,344,020exports from China2026 YTD943,817exports from ChinaJan–6 cumulative
Jan116,985exportFeb124,929exportMar—
n/a		Apr177,573exportMay182,000exportJun191,062export
 
Changan2025 FULL YEAR637,280overseas total · unsplitoverseas output 9,485 (not additive)2026 YTD311,265overseas total · unsplitsubtotal: 4/6 months disclosed
Jan43,600totalFeb—
n/a		Mar103,900totalApr72,700totalMay—
n/a		Jun91,065total
 
SAIC2025 FULL YEAR~1,071,000overseas total · unsplit2026 YTD734,676overseas total · unsplitJan–6 cumulative
Jan105,000totalFeb—
n/a		Mar—
n/a		Apr92,000totalMay130,000totalJun146,000total
 
FAW2025 FULL YEAR—
not disclosed		2026 YTD—
not disclosed
Jan—
n/a		Feb—
n/a		Mar—
n/a		Apr—
n/a		May—
n/a		Jun—
n/a
 
Great Wall2025 FULL YEAR506,066overseas total · unsplit2026 YTD291,426overseas total · unsplitJan–6 cumulative
Jan40,278totalFeb42,675totalMar47,142totalApr50,475totalMay50,688totalJun60,168total
 
GAC2025 FULL YEAR>130,000exports from China2026 YTD>120,000exports from ChinaJan–6 cumulative
Jan—
n/a		Feb—
n/a		Mar—
n/a		Apr—
n/a		May28,386exportJun—
n/a
 
Dongfeng2025 FULL YEAR~295,000exports from China2026 YTD20,059exports from Chinasubtotal: 1/6 months disclosed
Jan—
n/a		Feb—
n/a		Mar—
n/a		Apr—
n/a		May—
n/a		Jun20,059export
 
BAIC2025 FULL YEAR308,000exports from China2026 YTD~184,000exports from ChinaJan–6 cumulative
Jan—
n/a		Feb—
n/a		Mar—
n/a		Apr—
n/a		May—
n/a		Jun32,000total

EV startups (5)

NIO2025 FULL YEAR—
not disclosed		2026 YTD352exports from Chinasubtotal: 5/6 months disclosed
Jan70exportFeb47exportMar103exportApr44exportMay88exportJun—
n/a
 
XPeng2025 FULL YEAR45,008overseas total · unsplit2026 YTD20,042exports from Chinasubtotal: 3/6 months disclosed
Jan—
n/a		Feb—
n/a		Mar—
n/a		Apr6,006exportMay6,503exportJun7,533export
 
Li Auto2025 FULL YEAR—
not disclosed		2026 YTD—
not disclosed
Jan—
n/a		Feb—
n/a		Mar—
n/a		Apr—
n/a		May—
n/a		Jun—
n/a
 
Leapmotor2025 FULL YEAR~67,000exports from China2026 YTD21,102exports from Chinasubtotal: 1/6 months disclosed
Jan—
n/a		Feb—
n/a		Mar—
n/a		Apr—
n/a		May—
n/a		Jun21,102export
 
Xiaomi2025 FULL YEAR—
not disclosed		2026 YTD—
not disclosed
Jan—
n/a		Feb—
n/a		Mar—
n/a		Apr—
n/a		May—
n/a		Jun—
n/a

What happened

BYD in Brazil. On July 16 the 100,000th electric vehicle — a Dolphin Mini — rolled off BYD's Camacari plant in Bahia. The site now employs more than 5,500 people and represents an investment of about 5.5 billion reais, and BYD is racing to localize before Brazil's EV import duty steps up to 35% during 2026. [Source]

BYD in Japan. On July 20 BYD confirmed it will enter Japan's tightly regulated kei-car segment with the Racco, on sale July 28. The all-electric microvan is 3,395 mm long, offers up to 320 km of WLTC range and 50 kW fast charging, and starts around US$17,700 across three trims (200, 300 Plus, 300 Premium) — a direct challenge to Suzuki and Honda. [Source] [Specs]

BYD in Europe. The company also signed a sponsorship with Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain, deepening its European brand marketing. [Source]

XPeng in Munich. XPeng launched the L03 globally from Munich on July 16, selling it overseas under a standalone "XPeng L03" name after dropping the "Mona" badge, with a premium SUV slated for Europe in October. It lines up against the BYD Sealion 7, MG S6, Geely EX5 and Leapmotor C10. [Source]

Why it matters

BYD is visibly shifting from exporting cars to embedding itself locally — building where it sells, marketing where it builds, and attacking segments (Japan's kei class) that foreign brands have never cracked. XPeng's decision to premiere in Munich and unify its overseas branding signals the same ambition at the premium end: Chinese brands increasingly want to be treated as local players, not low-price importers.

Market context

The backdrop is a record export year — China shipped more than 1.03 million vehicles in June — now colliding with rising trade barriers. Brazil's EV duty is climbing toward 35%, and in the EU, Chinese vehicle exports reached 438,400 units in Q1 2026 (+84.7% year on year), with plug-in hybrids up 152.4%. That PHEV surge is precisely the loophole Brussels now wants to close.

Impact on Chinese automakers

BYD's simultaneous Brazil, Japan and Europe moves widen its lead in building genuine local footprints, but also raise its fixed-cost exposure and expose it to Japan's demanding cost and service standards. XPeng gains a cleaner premium identity in Europe but must build dealer and service coverage fast. For Chery and SAIC, the looming EU PHEV duties threaten the very hybrid channel that has been carrying their European growth.

What to watch next

Key near-term markers: the Racco's July 28 on-sale date and its first Japanese order numbers; whether a qualified majority of EU member states approves countervailing duties on Chinese PHEVs, and at what rate, for BYD, Chery and SAIC; and XPeng's October premium-SUV reveal for Europe. [Source]