Beyond BYD: Leapmotor Holds 100,000 for a Fourth Month, Xiaomi Tops 50,000, and NIO firefly Sets a Record

Leapmotor delivered 106,127 vehicles globally in October 2026, up 51% year over year and broadly flat month over month, marking a fourth consecutive month above 100,000 deliveries. The B10 was a significant contributor, with global sales of 15,576 units in October across 40 countries and regions. In the first ten months of the year Leapmotor delivered 772,666 vehicles, reaching more than 77% of its annual target. The mainstream market below RMB 200,000 — about $30,000 — has become the key growth driver of the September-October peak season, and Leapmotor is its clearest beneficiary.

Xiaomi Auto delivered more than 50,000 vehicles in October, its best month of 2026 and only the second time it has passed that mark, after December 2025. Its year-to-date total is at least 336,490, a little over 61% of its 550,000 target for the year. Zeekr delivered 32,483 vehicles. Inside NIO Inc., the standout was the premium small-car brand firefly, which set a new monthly record of 7,738 deliveries and launched a 60 kWh long-range option, reflecting a shift of emphasis toward smaller premium models as the main NIO brand softened.

The other side of the month was Huawei HIMA alliance, which delivered 33,537 vehicles, down 51% year over year in its fifth straight annual decline. Competition now centers on the mainstream sub-RMB 200,000 and export-ready segments, but the risks named in the October snapshot are real: seasonal buyer hesitation, model timing around NIO Day, ramp constraints and margin pressure from discounts. October marked the end of China traditional September-October peak season, and a further decline in the overall auto market appeared inevitable — which makes the brands still growing, rather than the market, the story.