China's automakers' global sales surpass Japan for the first time in 25 years to rank first
According to a report by the Japanese Economic News on March 21, China's automotive sales worldwide exceeded Japan in 2025, ranking first. This is the first time since 2000 that Japan's car sales have dropped from the top.
According to the report, Chinese automakers had cumulative global sales of nearly 27 million vehicles last year, surpassing Japan for the first time to become the world's number one. Japanese automakers had cumulative global car sales slightly decreased to about 25 million vehicles last year.
Data shows that the sales of Chinese electric vehicle giants BYD and Geely exceeded Nissan and Honda respectively. BYD's sales last year surpassed Ford in the United States, ranking sixth globally; Geely's sales exceeded Honda and Suzuki, ranking eighth.
In the list of the top 20 automotive manufacturers by global sales, six Chinese companies made the list, including Chery, Changan, SAIC, and Great Wall, as well as BYD and Geely, exceeding Japan's five companies.
Chinese automakers are accelerating their global expansion, while shifting from simple exports to local production to enhance cost advantages. If Japanese automakers fail to improve their cost competitiveness, the gap with Chinese automakers may widen further.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1860324134805504/
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