Nearly 100 large EVs flood market in a year as cars keep getting bigger

The "Golden September, Silver October" sales season is underway, and large vehicles continue to pour into China's new car market. In September alone, over 10 models of the "532-type" (5-meter length, 3-meter wheelbase, 2-meter width)—including the Yijing X9, XPeng G9L, Denza N9L, Qijing GX7, and Zhijie RX—were launched or made available for pre-sale ahead of the National Day holiday. Combined with more than 80 large models already launched between January and August, nearly 100 large vehicles have entered the market within the past year.

As vehicle weight increases, car dimensions have also been growing steadily. He Zhiqi, Executive Vice President of BYD, noted: "In recent years, cars have been getting bigger. In 2018, vehicles with a width of 1.9 meters or more accounted for only 10% of the market. From January to July this year, that figure has reached 40%. Previously, the '532-type' was considered luxury car dimensions, often costing hundreds of thousands or even millions of yuan. Now, if a car doesn't have '532-type' dimensions, it's hard to sell for even 200,000 yuan." He predicted: "As the auto market shifts to a replacement-driven model, larger cars also reflect consumer demand for upgrades. I estimate that within a few years, vehicles with a wheelbase under 2,800 mm will disappear."

Mixed Reactions from Industry Insiders

On one hand, during interviews conducted by Yicai reporters, several senior executives from various automakers agreed that large vehicles will become a trend in the future auto market. They believe that technological advancements—such as improved motor torque, iterative automatic parking systems, steer-by-wire, and more flexible rear-wheel steering—will make consumers more willing to buy large cars.

On the other hand, it is undeniable that "parking and door-opening anxiety" still troubles many consumers. The experience of "carefully opening the car door" has resonated widely.

As discussions around "the pain of having a neighbor who drives a large car" gain traction, and consumers increasingly complain that "cars are getting bigger while parking spaces are getting smaller," the challenge of how to address the simultaneous "size and weight" competition in new vehicles has become a new issue for the auto market.

Nearly 100 Large Models Flood the Market

"More than 100 new car models have been launched this year, but automakers seem obsessed with building large cars," said Li Wei (a pseudonym), a researcher at a traditional automotive group. He told reporters that his company has already launched several large models, and internal seminars revealed that the company's decision to develop large cars was driven by the need to keep pace with market trends and avoid falling behind competitors.

Li Wei's observation is accurate. Automakers' preference for large cars has become a focal point, especially in the new energy vehicle (NEV) sector. Cui Dongshu, head of the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), released a report showing a clear trend toward larger NEVs, which are the core category driving passenger vehicle size upgrades. In the first eight months of this year, 83 new models over 5 meters in length were launched, accounting for 78% of all new NEVs. In 2024, this figure was 44%, and in 2025, it rose to 55%. With more than a dozen large models launched or made available for pre-sale in September, preliminary calculations indicate that nearly 100 large vehicles have entered the market in the past year.

In stark contrast, only two NEV models under 4.5 meters in length were launched, accounting for just 2% of the total. During the same period last year, there were 13 such models, representing 8%.

Cui Dongshu explained: "The new cars launched in August were almost all large models. The current trend toward larger vehicles is mainly due to the failure of fuel consumption regulations and the strong power of electrification. The trend toward larger SUVs is also driven by consumer acceptance of the large SUV concept, which offers higher profit margins and better sales."

This also explains why automakers are eager to produce large cars. After Li Auto achieved success with its large L9 model and the three-child policy was introduced, many automakers set their sights on the large NEV market. Data shows that in the first quarter of this year, overall passenger vehicle sales in China declined, but sales of large vehicles grew by nearly 30% year-on-year.

He Xiaopeng, CEO of XPeng, responded to Yicai's questions about large cars, saying: "In the Chinese market, people used to avoid buying large cars for three reasons: first, they were expensive; second, roads or parking spaces weren't wide enough; and third, they were hard to drive. But now, the latter two factors are being addressed. Advances in autonomous driving technology and smarter chassis systems can effectively solve these problems."

Zeng Qinglin, General Manager of the Yijing brand, admitted in an interview with Yicai and other media that the current NEV market is highly competitive, and profit margins for the Yijing brand are not very high. The brand's first new model is also a "532-type" large car. He believes that large cars will become a trend in the auto market.

Denza stated that sales of mid-to-large and large SUVs have surged this year, with a significant portion coming from six-seat models. Many automakers have also launched multiple products, leading to notable growth in the large vehicle market.

Li Bin, CEO of NIO, noted that large cars offer higher profit margins, and current NEV tax policies do not restrict vehicle size. He argued that automakers' focus on large cars is a rational commercial choice driven by market forces.

According to Yicai's analysis, most large vehicles launched this year are priced at around 200,000 yuan, though some have dropped to as low as 100,000 yuan, intensifying competition in the large vehicle market. A report by the China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC), titled "Insights into the 2026 New Energy Mid-to-Large and Large SUV Market," noted that the 250,000–450,000 yuan price range is the main battleground for mid-to-large and large SUVs. However, over the next five years, this segment is expected to grow at a moderate pace, partly because it has shifted from a "blue ocean" to a "red ocean" market.

Is Bigger Always Better?

The rise of large vehicles has sparked controversy on social media. One netizen commented: "The pain of driving a large car is best known by your neighbors. If the parking space isn't even 2 meters wide, getting out of the car is a tight squeeze. You're also afraid of scratching the neighboring large car when opening the door, and the gap between doors keeps shrinking." Automakers are well aware of the pain points related to parking and door-opening difficulties.

Yu Chengdong, Executive Director of Huawei and Chairman of the Terminal BG, said at a Harmony Smart Car launch event: "Making a car bigger is very easy because it doesn't add much cost. Raw materials like steel and aluminum are priced by the kilogram. Making a car bigger doesn't require any special skill or capability."

"However, once you make a car bigger, parking becomes difficult. Every parking space has a limited width. It's hard to park, and once parked, you might not be able to open the door, or the door of the neighboring car might be hard to open. So, providing ample space within limited vehicle dimensions is the real skill. We need to be very restrained when it comes to car dimensions," Yu added.

Zhao Changjiang, Executive Director and Executive Vice President of Zhijie Auto, stated that family cars need ample space, but bigger isn't always better. "Dimensions are just numbers. What truly matters is comfort and usability."

Li Xiang, CEO of Li Auto, believes that the current competition over vehicle size is a result of the industry still using the mindset of the fuel vehicle era. "In the fuel vehicle era, if you wanted more space, you had to make the car bigger. But this mindset will fade. Pure electric vehicles have very small motors, so the front overhang can be shortened. The battery is flat on the chassis, and the floor can be made flat, so you don't need a high roof for headroom. With the same interior space, a pure electric car can be smaller than a fuel car. Once you understand this, obsessing over vehicle dimensions becomes less meaningful."

Li Xiang added: "For example, a car width of 2 meters versus 2.05 meters makes little difference in feel, but it significantly increases the driver's daily parking anxiety. You can't open the door, can't get out, and risk being hit by the door of another car." He predicted that the trend of flagship SUVs getting bigger is just a transitional phase. "The inherent advantages of pure electric architecture mean that the size arms race will eventually end."

Cui Dongshu analyzed that in recent years, the passenger vehicle market has shown an overall trend of "dimension expansion." Both length and width have increased, leading to a continuous rise in the total footprint of vehicles. C-segment models now occupy over 10 square meters (5m x 2m), an increase of 15%–20% compared to 2020. On the positive side, longer bodies give vehicles a more imposing and stable appearance, which aligns well with the high-end positioning of C-segment sedans (over 4.9 meters) and C-segment MPVs (4.9–5.35 meters). This has become an important tool for automakers to shape a premium image and expand interior longitudinal space.

However, the drawbacks are also clear: large vehicles occupying over 10 square meters face significant compatibility issues with existing urban infrastructure. Cui noted that standard urban parking spaces cover about 11.5 square meters (5m x 2.3m), while spaces in older neighborhoods and commercial areas may be as small as 9–10 square meters. Vehicles over 10 square meters are prone to encroaching on adjacent spaces, scraping, and difficulty entering parking spots. Additionally, on two-lane roads (about 7 meters wide) and narrow streets, such large vehicles reduce traffic efficiency and significantly increase the risk of scrapes and collisions.

The total footprint of a vehicle is also directly related to its usage costs. According to data provided by Cui, vehicles over 10 square meters incur higher parking fees in multi-story garages compared to A-segment models. Every 10 cm increase in vehicle length adds about 30–50 kg to the vehicle's weight, increases fuel consumption by 0.2–0.3 liters for fuel vehicles, and reduces the range of NEVs by 30–50 km. Every 10 cm increase in width raises body structure manufacturing costs by 8%–12%, requiring automakers to optimize body materials and chassis load-bearing designs. These costs may ultimately be passed on to consumers, increasing purchase prices.

"Therefore, the design of a vehicle's total footprint needs to balance market demand with urban compatibility. Bigger is not always better. Given the current state of urban infrastructure, the optimal footprint for family vehicles is 8–10 square meters. This can meet the space needs of families while remaining compatible with existing parking spaces, roads, and other facilities," Cui suggested.