Key Points
- Leapmotor (Lingpao 零跑汽车) led Chinese EV startups in April with 41,000 deliveries, a remarkable 173% increase year-over-year.
- NIO (Weilai 蔚来) saw a significant surge, boosting deliveries by 58.9% month-over-month to 23,900 units.
- XPeng (Xiaopeng 小鹏汽车) climbed to second place with 35,000 deliveries, representing an incredible 273% year-over-year growth.
- Xiaomi Auto (Xiaomi 小米汽车) experienced its first monthly dip, delivering just over 28,000 vehicles after a strong initial performance.
- Zeekr (Jike 极氪) was the only startup among the group to see declines in April, both year-over-year and month-over-month.
April’s Chinese EV sales numbers are in, and the race is getting intense, with some familiar faces shuffling positions and one clear winner holding the crown.
Leapmotor (Lingpao 零跑汽车) is proving it’s not just a flash in the pan, cementing its position as a serious contender in the electric vehicle space.
Let’s break down who’s up, who’s down, and what’s driving the trends in the world’s largest auto market.
One notable absence again this month? Data from Huawei’s HarmonyOS Intelligent Mobility Alliance (Hongmeng Zhixing 鸿蒙智行). They’ve stayed quiet on official delivery numbers for the second month straight.
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Leapmotor Leads the Pack Once More
Leapmotor (Lingpao 零跑汽车) absolutely crushed it in April, delivering a whopping 41,000 vehicles.
That’s a staggering 173% increase year-over-year, setting a new growth record for the company.
They were the only EV startup in this breakdown to cross the 40,000 unit mark for the month.
Keep an eye on Leapmotor – they’re consistently making waves.
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XPeng Climbs, Li Auto Holds Strong
XPeng (Xiaopeng 小鹏汽车) had a fantastic April, jumping past Li Auto to grab the second spot.
Here’s the breakdown for XPeng:
- April Deliveries: 35,000 units
- Year-over-Year Growth: An incredible 273% increase
- Month-over-Month Growth: A solid 5.5% increase
- Delivery Streak: 6 consecutive months delivering over 30,000 vehicles
- Year-to-Date (Jan-Apr 2024): 129,000 units (up 313% YoY)
- Total Cumulative Deliveries: Over 700,000 vehicles
Li Auto (Lixiang 理想汽车) landed in third place for April, still posting respectable numbers:
- April Deliveries: 33,900 new cars
- Year-over-Year Growth: 31.6% increase
- Total Cumulative Deliveries (as of April 30, 2024): 1,260,700 vehicles
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Xiaomi Auto Sees First Dip, NIO Roars Back
The much-hyped Xiaomi Auto (Xiaomi 小米汽车), after a strong start, saw a slight decrease in April, delivering just over 28,000 vehicles.
However, it’s important context that their cumulative sales from January to April 2024 have already broken the 100,000 unit barrier.
NIO (Weilai 蔚来), on the other hand, had a remarkable turnaround in month-over-month performance.
NIO’s April highlights:
- Total April Deliveries: 23,900 new vehicles
- Year-over-Year Growth: 53% increase
- Month-over-Month Growth: A massive 58.9% surge
- Brand Breakdown:
- NIO Brand: 19,300 vehicles
- Onvo (Ledao 乐道) Brand: 4,400 vehicles
- Total Cumulative Deliveries: 737,600 vehicles (NIO: 697,400 / Onvo: 39,900)
Zeekr Faces Headwinds
Zeekr (Jike 极氪) stood out in April, but not in a good way.
It was the only EV startup among this group to see declines both year-over-year and month-over-month.
Zeekr delivered 13,700 vehicles in April.
- Month-over-Month Change: Down 11%
- Year-over-Year Change: Down 14.7%
We’ll be watching to see if Zeekr can reverse this trend in the coming months.
The Mystery of Huawei’s HarmonyOS Alliance
For the second month running, Huawei’s HarmonyOS Intelligent Mobility Alliance (Hongmeng Zhixing 鸿蒙智行) hasn’t publicly shared its delivery figures.
What we do know (from an April 29th update) is that the new Aito (Wenjie 问界) M8 model racked up 60,000 firm orders (with non-refundable deposits) in just 13 days post-launch.
This massive demand is apparently causing significant production capacity and delivery bottlenecks.
To manage expectations, HarmonyOS Intelligent Mobility Alliance announced a customer care plan:
- Customers facing an Aito M8 delivery wait exceeding 10 weeks are eligible for a subsidy.
- Subsidy Amount: ¥200 RMB ($27.59 USD) per day over the 10-week limit.
- Maximum Cap: ¥10,000 RMB ($1,379.31 USD).
Industry watchers suggest the lack of official reporting might be due to the transition between old and new Aito models, with anticipation for the M8 potentially cannibalizing sales of older vehicles.
What’s Driving the Market Dynamics?
So why the mixed bag of results across these EV startups in April?
A major factor is the transition between old and new models for several automakers.
Leading up to the Shanghai Auto Show in late April, many brands announced major new model launches.
This likely caused a “wait-and-see” attitude among potential buyers, impacting April sales figures.
This pattern mirrors the broader passenger car market.
Data from the vastChina Passenger Car Association (CPCA) for April 1st-27th shows:
- Retail sales of passenger cars: 1.391 million units
- Year-over-Year Change: Up 10%
- Compared to March: Down 10%
The CPCA anticipates that the wave of new energy vehicle (NEV) models launched at the Shanghai Auto Show, which are now starting deliveries, will inject fresh momentum into the NEV market and bolster the overall car market moving forward.
The competition in China’s EV market remains incredibly fierce, and April’s sales figures underscore the dynamic shifts happening month to month.
FAQs
Who was the top-selling Chinese EV startup in April 2024?
Leapmotor (Lingpao 零跑汽车) took the top spot, delivering 41,000 vehicles, marking a 173% year-over-year increase.
Which EV startup saw the biggest month-over-month growth in April?
NIO (Weilai 蔚来) showed the most significant month-over-month growth, with deliveries surging by 58.9% compared to March 2024.
Did Xiaomi Auto’s sales increase in April?
No, Xiaomi Auto (Xiaomi 小米汽车) experienced a slight decline in April compared to its previous momentum, delivering over 28,000 vehicles. However, their cumulative sales for 2024 still surpassed 100,000 units.
Why haven’t Huawei’s HarmonyOS Alliance brands reported sales figures recently?
Huawei’s HarmonyOS Intelligent Mobility Alliance (Hongmeng Zhixing 鸿蒙智行) hasn’t officially released delivery data for two consecutive months. While the exact reason isn’t stated, it coincides with high demand and potential production delays for their new Aito (Wenjie 问界) M8 model and a likely transition period between old and new vehicle models.
What was the overall trend in the Chinese passenger car market in April 2024?
According to CPCA data (April 1-27), overall passenger car retail sales increased 10% year-over-year but decreased 10% compared to March. This suggests some market slowdown potentially linked to consumers awaiting new models launched at the Shanghai Auto Show.
Which EV startup experienced sales declines in April?
Zeekr (Jike 极氪) was the only startup listed that saw both year-over-year (-14.7%) and month-over-month (-11%) declines in deliveries for April 2024.
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