China's Plug-In Share Hits 67% as Gas Car Sales Collapse 49%

Something unusual happened in China’s car market last month. The record plug-in share of 67% wasn’t driven by a surge of new EV buyers — it was driven by a collapse in combustion car sales. Pure petrol and diesel deliveries fell 49% year over year in September, according to registration data from the Chinese market.

The overall market shrank 28% to roughly 1.6 million vehicles. Plug-in vehicles (BEVs plus PHEVs) were down 17% on the same month last year, so they weren’t immune to the slowdown. But the gap between the two powertrain camps is now enormous: battery-electric cars took 45% of the market and plug-in hybrids another 22%, leaving combustion models with barely a third of all sales.

Year to date, plug-ins account for 58% of Chinese deliveries, already four points above the full-year 2025 figure. BEVs alone sit at 39%, versus 33% a year earlier. If the current pace holds, 2026 should close above 60% plug-in share, with pure electrics clearing 40%.

Two Toyota SUVs Sneak Back Into the Top 10

The monthly ranking offered a small reminder that combustion cars haven’t vanished entirely. The Toyota Corolla Cross (8th) and RAV4 (10th) both made the overall top 10 — notable mainly because an all-plug-in top 10 has become routine in China. The compact segment is the one place where a combustion model genuinely holds its ground: the Corolla Cross finished second there, behind the Nevo Q05 and ahead of the BYD Dolphin.

At the sharp end of the table, the Tesla Model Y held on to first with 50,359 deliveries, helped by the long-wheelbase version sold locally. That’s still 2% below September 2025, and with rivals moving to 800V architectures while the six-year-old crossover carries on, its cushion looks thinner than the number suggests.

Geely’s Xingyuan had to settle for second after 44,275 registrations, down 8%. The little hatchback now faces a crowded field — Leapmotor’s A10 and A05, the new Wuling Bingo, Chery’s QQ3 and, most threatening of all, the next-generation BYD Seagull, which has the Xingyuan’s crown squarely in its sights.

BYD’s Song took third with 30,603 units, up 25%, as the new Ultra body ramps up. Lidar and 1,500 kW DC charging headline the spec sheet, but the price is the real story: 152,000 yuan (about $22,000) with a 76 kWh pack, rising to 180,000 yuan ($26,000) for the 83 kWh version. The Model Y starts at 259,000 yuan ($38,250) in China.

Boxes, Small Crossovers and a Fastback Debut

Fourth went to the Fang Cheng Bao Tai 7, BYD’s premium off-roader, with a year-best 27,544 registrations. The recently added electric versions, using 92 kWh and 106 kWh batteries and flash charging, are pulling buyers as the market swings toward pure electric. Then came the BYD Yuan Up in fifth on 22,767 units, down 12% but still strong value from around $11,000.

The most eye-catching arrival was the MG 07, which landed with 14,577 deliveries in its first month. The midsize fastback comes in both BEV and PHEV form, and the order book reportedly runs into five figures. Farther down, the Chery QQ3 EV set a record of 12,688 registrations in 18th, while FAW’s Bestune Xiaoma appeared in 20th with roughly 12,500 units.

Just outside the top 20, Xpeng’s Mona L03 and Leapmotor’s A05 each posted around 12,000 deliveries — two names worth watching as they close in on the leaderboard.