Even before China’s car market sees its first sales surge of the new year, a fierce contest of targets is already under way among automakers in 2026.Leapmotor has set its sights on the million-vehicle mark, implying a year-on-year jump of 67.6%, while Xiaomi Auto is pressing ahead more cautiously, aiming for 550,000 units—still a robust increase of 34%. The contrast is striking. Geely is targeting 3.45 million vehicles, a rise of 14.1%, while Changan has set a goal of 3.3 million units, up 13.3%. Elsewhere, joint-venture brands such as GAC Toyota and SAIC Volkswagen are even more restrained, with growth targets limited to the single digits.

As 2025 draws to a close, China’s automotive industry stands at a pivotal moment, having undergone one of the most profound transformations in its history. Over the past year, rules were redefined, market structures reshaped, technologies pushed closer to mass adoption, and Chinese carmakers accelerated their expansion overseas. Alongside landmark breakthroughs came growing pains and painful adjustments. For many companies, 2025 resembled a coming-of-age test — one that challenged not only business survival, but the direction of the entire industry. Here are ten defining events that helped shape China’s auto market in 2025 — offering not just a review of the year gone by, but clues to what lies ahead.

 A video showing an electric-vehicle battery pack being ejected from a car in one second has triggered a fierce debate in China's auto industry.

For years, a familiar line has accompanied new-car launches in China: more than 10,000 early reservations. The number is meant to signal a hit before the first serious delivery data arrives.

 The phrase sounds contradictory: a zero-mileage used car. Yet the practice has become familiar enough in parts of China's auto market to draw attention from regulators, manufacturers and dealers.