Experts debunk the rumor that "the car market has launched five to six hundred new models in six months."

In response to the industry's heated discussions about the over 500 new models launched in the first half of the year, Li Yanwei, an expert from the China Automobile Circulation Association, stated on social media today that there will only be about 165 new models on the domestic market from January to June 2026, and the claim of 500 to 600 models circulating in the market is not rigorous. Li Yanwei explained that the figure of over 500 is a combined statistic of models plus various configurations and derivative options. For example, if a new model is launched with three configurations, this can be counted as 1 model and 3 variants; if you take the 165 models in the first half of the year and add different configurations, it may yield around 500 to 600 variants; however, calling it 500 to 600 models is not accurate. Previously, several media outlets used a broad statistical approach, claiming there were 550 new cars from January to May and over 600 in the first half of the year, which sparked discussions about industry competition. BYD's Executive Vice President He Zhiqi also publicly voiced his concerns about the state of the industry, expressing, It's completely crazy; this is the automotive industry, where a new car usually requires over a billion in investment and more than two years of development, yet the hype can't even last for three months, and it's cold before it even gets hot.