Is the global car market's "East rising, West falling" trend now a certainty? Q3 report reveals the secret of China's automotive enterprises' rise.

With the settlement of the third quarter report in 2025, the global automobile market's "eastward rise and westward decline" trend has become increasingly clear. Chinese mainstream auto companies are leading the race with steady growth, while the pace of traditional overseas giants has noticeably slowed down, shifting the competitive balance of the global automobile industry towards the East. Chinese auto companies are accelerating their sales and revenue growth From a sales perspective, there is a significant divergence in performance among the global mainstream auto companies. In the first three quarters, Toyota ranked first with sales of 8.358 million units, a 6% year-on-year increase; brands such as Volkswagen and Ford only saw a 1% increase in sales, while others like Stellantis, General Motors, and Honda experienced a 2%-7% decline in sales, and Mercedes-Benz sales dropped by 9%. In contrast, Chinese auto companies are accelerating their sales growth. BYD Company Limited ranked first among domestic mainstream auto companies with sales of 3.26 million units, a 19% year-on-year increase. Additionally, SAIC, Geely Holding Group, Chery, and others achieved double-digit year-on-year sales growth, with Xiaopeng Motors showing a significant 218% increase in sales. There is also a significant disparity in revenue growth. Among overseas mainstream auto companies, revenue growth in the first three quarters did not exceed 10%. Volkswagen ranked first with revenue of 1,955.13 billion RMB, but with only a 1% increase. Stellantis, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, and several other companies experienced varying degrees of revenue decline. Chinese mainstream auto companies achieved widespread revenue growth in the first three quarters. Among them, BYD Company Limited, Geely Holding Group, Chery, and others saw revenue growth of over 10%, while Xiaopeng's revenue doubled year-on-year. Ramping up R&D innovation in the industry transformation In the first three quarters, the operational pressure faced by overseas mainstream auto companies was reflected in their profits, with double-digit declines in net profits for many. General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Tesla, and Honda saw net profit declines of over 30%. Chinese mainstream auto companies have shown more resilience in terms of profits, with Chery, SAIC, Chongqing Sokon Industry Group Stock, and other companies seeing year-on-year growth in net profits of over 15%. This resilience is supported by continuous investment in research and development innovation. The intensity and direction of R&D innovation investment are central to driving the restructuring of the global automobile industry competition landscape and are crucial variables for Chinese auto companies to excel in the industry. In the first three quarters, only a few overseas mainstream auto brands like Toyota and Hyundai maintained R&D growth, while Volkswagen and BMW reduced their R&D investment. Chinese auto companies almost unanimously increased their R&D investment, with BYD Company Limited leading domestic mainstream auto companies with an investment of 43.75 billion RMB, a 31% year-on-year increase. Xiaopeng, known for its impressive sales growth, saw a 49% increase in R&D investment. Additionally, Chery, Chongqing Sokon Industry Group Stock, Geely Holding Group, and others saw R&D investment growth rates exceeding 15%. This "R&D-first" strategy not only aligns with industry trends in new energy and intelligence but also lays a solid foundation for the long-term competitiveness of Chinese auto companies. A new starting point for reshaping the industry landscape with the rise of the East and the decline of the West The car market data from the first three quarters of 2025 essentially reflects a "phase-level answer" of the global automobile industry transformation period, transitioning from "catching up" to "running alongside," the growth of Chinese auto companies is not incidental. Traditional overseas giants are constrained by the inertia of the fossil fuel system, leading to a slow pace in the transition to new energy and intelligent tracks. Chinese auto companies have leveraged their early advantages in new energy, cost control in the supply chain, and scenario-based deployment of intelligent technology to achieve dual enhancement in market share and competitiveness. However, the "Eastward rise and Westward decline" is not the end, but a new starting point for the advancement of Chinese auto companies. Overseas giant brands still have advantages in brand accumulation, and for Chinese auto companies to truly "surpass," they need to continue to exert efforts in high-end brand building, globalization layout, and other dimensions. Data shows that in the first three quarters of this year, China exported 4.95 million vehicles, a 14.8% year-on-year increase, with exports of new energy vehicles growing by as much as 89.4%, led by companies like BYD and Chery, China's automotive industry's globalization layout has begun to take shape, with leading new energy company BYD taking the lead in high-end brand expansion, with models like U9 becoming the "traffic king" overseas. It is certain that the achievements in the first three quarters of 2025 have shown the global auto market that the growth of Chinese auto companies is no longer a "single breakthrough" but a comprehensive "systemic rise."