In an unexpected surprise, it wasn't the Tesla Model Y or even the BYD Seagull that topped China's car sales market in the first half of 2025. Instead, it was the Geely Xingyuan, also known as the Star Wish.
cheapest electric car
The car, which costs less than $10,000, has secured its place at the top of the market thanks to a combination of competitive pricing and practical technology.
Huge sales exceeding 200 units
According to data from Chinese website Yiche, Geely Xingyuan recorded sales of approximately 205,000 vehicles by the end of June, surpassing the BYD Seagull, which came in second with 174,912 units, and the Tesla Model Y, which came in third with 171,491 units.
This arrangement represents a qualitative shift in the Chinese market, which is witnessing fierce competition among major companies.
The price of the cheapest electric car in the world
The Xingyuan starts at 69,800 yuan (about $10,000), making it one of the most affordable electric cars available.
The car comes with two options of LFP batteries manufactured by CATL:
30.12 kWh battery with a driving range of 310 km according to the CLTC standard.
A second, larger battery with a capacity of 40.16 kWh offers a range of up to 410 km.
Fierce competition with BYD Seagull
Although Xingyuan outperforms Seagull in overall numbers, BYD Seagull is still performing strongly, selling around 30,000 units per month.
To counter the competition, BYD lowered the Seagull's price in early 2025 to 55,800 yuan (about $7,800), while maintaining a starting price of 69,800 yuan, roughly the same as the Geely Xingyuan.
These figures confirm that the future of China's auto market is moving strongly toward small, low-cost electric vehicles.
Consumers appear to be preferring practical vehicles that offer good performance at low operating costs.
The Geely Xingyuan is now a strong candidate to become China's first mass-market electric car, and could pave the way for the brand's global expansion in the coming period.
