The first month of 2026 saw a collective decline across the Chinese automotive industry. Based on the delivery data released so far by new energy vehicle (NEV) startups, Huawei’s Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA) currently leads with 57, 915 vehicles delivered in January, which was 19,000 more than Xiaomi, who came in second.
From January 1st to 11th, passenger vehicle retail sales in China was 328,000 units, a year-on-year decrease of 32%, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). During the same period, passenger vehicle wholesale was 381,000 units, a year-on-year decrease of 40%.
Industry experts pointed out that the weaker performance of the automotive market in January is normal, partially due to that the tax exemption policy for NEV had just ended.
| Ranking | NEV Startup | January 2026 Deliveries |
| 1 | HIMA | 57,915 |
| 2 | Xiaomi | 39,000+ |
| 3 | Leapmotor | 32,059 |
| 4 | Li Auto | 27,668 |
| 5 | Nio | 27,182 |
| 6 | Dongfeng eπ | 21,269 |
| 7 | Xpeng | 20,011 |
| 8 | Voyah | 10,515 |
| 9 | Polestones | 1,028 |
HIMA is no stranger to claiming top spots in the Chinese NEV startup sales ranking. Its 57,915 vehicle deliveries in January is a year-on-year increase of 65.6%. Among its five brands (Aito, Stelato, Luxeed, Maextro, and Saic), the Aito brand is its sales pillar with the most vehicles sold, delivered 40,016 units alone in January.
Compared to the 20,000+ units delivered in January 2025, Xiaomi’s 39,000+ deliveries in January 2026 is a year-on-year increase of 95%. This year, Xiaomi aims to deliver 550,000 vehicles.
Leapmotor delivered 60,423 vehicles in December last year, but only 28,364 in January, a decrease of 46.9% month-on-month, breaking its 10 month streak as the best-selling NEV startup since March 2025. Its deliveries exceeded 50,000 units in July and August, 60,000 in September, 70,000 in October and November, and 60,000 in December.
Leapmotor has set a sales target of one million vehicles for 2026, making it the first NEV startup in China to set this specific goal.
In 2026, Leapmotor will launch its first flagship MPV model called the Leapmotor D99. The EREV variant features an 80.3 kWh battery and an 800V platform, with the company claiming it has the “longest pure electric range among EREV MPVs globally.” The pure electric variant is equipped with a 115 kWh battery from CATL and an 1,000V system.
A notable mention is Polestones, a high-end NEV brand under Rox Motor. Its 1,028 vehicle deliveries is nearly a 100% increase from January 2025. The Middle East, especially the UAE, is one of Polestones’ core markets, where Polestones primarily sells its Polestones Adamas SUV.
Source: Official announcement from automakers
