- Major EV makers saw a significant drop in insurance registrations in China last week, primarily due to the impact of the Golden Week holiday.
- The Nio main brand recorded 2,120 insurance registrations last week, Onvo registered 3,320 units, and Firefly registered 960 units.
Major electric vehicle (EV) makers experienced a significant drop in insurance registrations in China last week, primarily due to the impact of the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival Golden Week holiday break.
During the week of September 29 to October 5 -- week 40 of 2025 -- Nio Inc (NYSE: NIO) recorded 6,400 vehicle insurance registrations in China, a 40.74 percent decrease from the previous week's 10,800 units, according to figures obtained by CnEVPost.
The October 1-8 period marked this year's National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, effectively leaving only two working days last week. As part of the holiday arrangement, Saturday, October 11, was designated a workday.
The holiday spanned two calendar weeks, meaning insurance registrations for major EV makers will likely remain subdued this week.
The Nio main brand recorded 2,120 insurance registrations last week, down 59.23 percent from 5,200 the previous week.
The third-generation ES8, launched on September 20, registered 330 vehicles last week, down from 2,120 the previous week.
Nio's sub-brand Onvo recorded 3,320 insurance registrations last week, down 12.63 percent from 3,800 the previous week.
This included 1,720 registrations for the Onvo L90 and 1,600 for the Onvo L60.
Firefly, another Nio sub-brand, recorded 960 insurance registrations last week, down 46.67 percent from the previous week's 1,800 units.
Nio Inc delivered a record 34,749 vehicles in September, including 13,728 units under the Nio main brand, 15,246 units under Onvo, and 5,775 units under Firefly.
Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) recorded 5,020 insurance registrations in China last week, down 73.99 percent from 19,300 the previous week.
This included 2,770 five-seat Model Ys, 1,590 six-seat Model Y Ls, and 640 Model 3s.
Tesla China's wholesale sales in September came in at 90,812 vehicles, including both domestic sales and exports from China to overseas markets, according to data released yesterday by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).
This represents a 2.82 percent increase from the 88,321 units sold in the same period last year and a 9.16 percent rise from August's 83,192 units, marking a rebound after two consecutive months of year-on-year declines.
The growth was partly driven by the Model Y L, a six-seat SUV that launched in China on August 19 and began deliveries in early September.
Tesla's domestic delivery figures in China and export numbers from its Shanghai factory remain unavailable.
Xiaomi (HKG: 1810, OTCMKTS: XIACY) registered 7,360 vehicles last week, down 33.09 percent from 11,000 the previous week.
This included 4,620 units of the YU7 SUV and 2,740 units of the SU7 sedan.
The company delivered a record 41,948 vehicles in September, marking a 209.37 percent year-on-year increase and a 15.25 percent rise from August, according to CPCA data.
BYD (HKG: 1211, OTCMKTS: BYDDY) brand vehicles registered 57,990 units last week, down 37.24 percent from 92,400 units the previous week.
BYD Group's new energy vehicle (NEV) sales in September totaled 396,270 units, down 5.52 percent year-on-year but up 6.06 percent from August.
BYD brand passenger vehicles -- including Dynasty and Ocean series models -- sold 352,015 units in September, down 11.71 percent year-on-year but up 3.73 percent month-on-month.
Xpeng (NYSE: XPEV) recorded 6,460 insurance registrations last week, a 37.88 percent decrease from the previous week's 10,400 units.
The company delivered 41,581 vehicles in September, marking its third consecutive record-high month with a year-on-year increase of 94.74 percent and a month-on-month rise of 10.27 percent.
Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) recorded 5,700 insurance registrations last week, down 33.72 percent from the previous week's 8,600.
This included 980 units of the Li i8 electric SUV and 690 units of the Li Mega MPV (multi-purpose vehicle).
Li Auto launched the Li i8 on July 29 and commenced deliveries of the six-seat electric SUV on August 20.
It rolled out the five-seat electric SUV Li i6 on September 26 and began deliveries on September 27.
Leapmotor (HKG: 9863) recorded 9,850 insurance registrations last week, down 38.44 percent from 16,000 the previous week.
The company delivered 66,657 vehicles in September, marking its fifth consecutive month of record highs.
This represents a 97.40 percent increase from the 33,767 units delivered in the same period last year and a 16.81 percent rise from August's 57,066 units.
The Zeekr brand recorded 2,920 insurance registrations last week, down 5.81 percent from the previous week's 3,100 units.
Zeekr Group (NYSE: ZK) delivered 51,159 vehicles in September, comprising 18,257 Zeekr brand vehicles and 32,902 Lynk & Co vehicles.
Aito -- a brand jointly developed by Huawei and Seres Group -- recorded 7,580 insurance registrations last week, down 29.16 percent from 10,700 the previous week.
Data table: China EV insurance registrations in Sept 29-Oct 5