Two relatively new Chinese players in the OEM scene are pushing to put China in the number two spot as imports surge.
BYD and GWM are two of the makers who have pushed Chinese cars beyond the 100,000 mark so far in 2025, fast approaching Thailand in secondspot where Fords are made.
New energy vehicle specialist BYD is leading a surging pack of Chinese makers that now make up a growing share of Australia’s car parc and have consolidated its place as third largest country of origin.
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Chinese models , not counting grew by 33 per cnet in June and 6.1 per cent over the first six months of 2025.
BYD continues to break its own records and by midyear has reached number five in June for most popular makers when it achieved 6.7 per cent market share in record time.
BYD has already eclipsed the 20,458 vehicles sold in all of 2024, in the first six verified months of 2025 and for the year sits just behind another Chinese maker GWM with 3.8 per cent of the total market.
In June, BYD delivered 8,156 vehicles — a 368% increase from the 1,743 vehicles delivered in June last year and an 70 per cent increase on its previous monthly record of 4,811 vehicles, set in March this year.
Agile and fast moving
Part of the success is attributed to China’s ability to make development turnarounds in record times.
Reuters reports China’s emerging automotive dominance has slashed vehicle-development time by more than half, to as little as 18 months for an all-new or redesigned model.
“The average age of a Chinese-brand electric or plug-in hybrid model on sale domestically is 1.6 years, versus 5.4 years for foreign brands, consultancy AlixPartners found,” the news agency reported.
The Australian upsurge of Chinese auto makers has been reflected across the globe and specifically driven by the huge domestic Chinese market with Reuters also reporting where the top five Chinese automakers saw sales more than double to 9.5 million in 2024 from 4.6 million vehicles in 2020.
Shark Attack
Since it its launch in October 2024, the BYD SHARK 6 also surpassed 10,000 in total sales and in June was the fourth most popular vehicle.
June also marked the final month of EVDirect’s role as BYD’s local distributor that played a significant role in launching BYD passenger vehicles and expediting BYD’s growth in the Australian market, rapidly building the brand and laying a strong foundation.
“With each month, you can see just how popular BYD vehicles are becoming in Australia because you can see them on our roads,” says BYD Australia COO Stephen Collins said.
“As we continue the transition to a fully-factory backed operation, we commend the foundation laid by our distribution partners as we strive to ensure this strong growth continues.”
“We set out to bring affordable, world-class EVs to Australians and grow the BYD brand as fast as possible,” EVDirect CEO Luke Todd says.
“What we’ve achieved in just a few short years is remarkable, and now, as we hand over to BYD directly, we’re confident the momentum will only accelerate from here.”
Chery back
Chery one of the largest car manufacturers in the world, has also had a resurgence in sales after a relaunch a little over two years ago.
In the first six months of 2025 Chery has sold 14123 vehicles, a 228 per cent increase on 2024.
The company had a slow start in austrlia more than a decade ago but has taken up a new position as a leader in safety and design innovation.
Great Wall grows stronger
GWM the brand of Great Wall Motors is one of the Chinese brands experiencing a massive surge in sales in Australia.
The company specialises in utes and SUVs and by the middle point of the year was ranked seventh in the overall brands with 4.1 per cent of the new vehicle market in 2025
In June GWM posted its best-ever monthly result in June since entering the Australian market 16 years ago.
GWM delivered 5,464 vehicles in June 2025, a 30.9% increase over the same month last year
GWM has had cumulative sales of 25,189 up until June exceeding all previous half-year benchmarks, with expectations to deliver more than 50,000 units for 2025.
GWM could boast of sales up 17% to the midyear point against an industry that has declined by 3.7 per cent over the same period.
While ICE sales are strong, hybrids and recently introduced PHEV models remain key pillars for growth, as more Australian buyers embrace sustainable mobility without sacrificing performance.
GWM ANZ Chief Operating Officer said John Kett says the results saw record sales performance across all regions in Australia indicating the brand’s strong appeal in all corners of the country.
“Delivering this level of growth in a competitive and constantly evolving market is a direct reflection of the dedication shown by our dealer network, partners, and of course our GWM staff,” Kett says. “2025 was always set to be more competitive than 2024, with new brands entering and established players refusing to yield. GWM won’t be dialling back in the second half — we’re maintaining EOFY pricing to reinforce our commitment to being a price accessible brand. From July 2025, we’ll also accelerate the rollout of our next-generation technology, led by innovations in HEV, Hi4, and Hi4T PHEV systems across key models like the Cannon Alpha, Haval H6, and Tank 500.”
The Cannon ute, the Cannon Alpha PHEV, Haval H6GT PHEV, and the Tank 300 are among its strong performers.