Best–Worst Scaling (BWS) was applied to assess Chinese consumer preferences for battery electric vehicle (BEV). Although BEV is becoming familiar to Chinese consumers, the share of passenger electric vehicles for yearly sales in 2020 is still 5.8%. BWS has advantages in obtaining rich information on preferences by identifying “best” and “worst” options. An online questionnaire survey was conducted in mainland China in January 2021, and 2064 samples of Chinese consumers were collected. A BWS object case was applied in this study to compare with the previous Japanese case study. Results of the BWS object case revealed that maximum driving range and convenient charging facilities were the most important factors. Conversely, operation costs, the reduction of carbon dioxide and air pollutants were less important factors. Random parameter logit estimates with interaction-terms demonstrated the preference heterogeneity of attributes except for driving performance and battery life and warranty. The results suggest that Chinese consumer preferences and purchasing behaviors are much diverse. Government programs and companies’ efforts to support financially for increasing charging availability and driving range are required to promote the diffusion of BEV in China.