Qualcomm Leads China NEV New Car-Making Brands’ Cockpit Chips, Q1–Q3 2026

From Q1 to Q3 2026, Qualcomm cockpit chip installations among new car-making brands maintained upward momentum: 495k units in Q1, 705k units (+42.5% QoQ) in Q2, and 772k units (+9.4% QoQ) in Q3. Qualcomm’s market share in this segment stayed above 70%, registering 72.0% in Q1, a slight dip to 71.4% in Q2, and a rebound to 73.9% in Q3, retaining a dominant position among new car-making brands.

Within Qualcomm’s cockpit chip shipments to new car-making brands, the 8295 remained the leading model, though its share within Qualcomm’s portfolio fell sequentially to 55.0% in Q3. The 8797 saw fast growth to 10.2% of Qualcomm’s shipments in Q3, while the 8155 edged back to approximately 13% in Q3 after picking up in Q2. Chip selection closely correlates with vehicle price tiers. The 8155 dominates cockpit chip fitment for vehicles below RMB 100k; the 8295 takes a major position across vehicle segments above RMB 100k, and the 8797 gains traction in models priced above RMB 200k.

Across Q1-Q3 2026, Leap maintained the leading share of Qualcomm 8155, rising from 52% in Q1 to 79% in Q2 and easing to 75% in Q3, with Xpeng and Firefly as the main followers. For 8295, brand rankings shifted quarter by quarter: Li Auto, Zeekr and Nio were the top three in Q1; Zeekr, Li Auto and Leap led in Q2; Leap moved to No.1 in Q3, followed by Zeekr and Nio. For chip 8797, Leap took the top spot in Q2, and Li Auto became the leader in Q3. Overall, each Qualcomm cockpit chip model shows high brand concentration among new car-making brands.