Tesla has started the year 2023 on a positive note by striving to retain its title as the most popular premium SUV in China. According to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), the Model Y emerged as the second best-selling premium SUV in January, with the Model 3 following closely behind.
Although Tesla China sold 66,051 vehicles in January, data shows that 39,208 of these were exported to other countries. The remaining 26,843 cars were sold domestically in China, with the Model Y leading the sales with 14,184 units sold, while the Model 3 had 12,659 sales. This made the Model Y the second most sought-after premium SUV in China, despite a 13.3% decrease in sales compared to January of the previous year.
The Model Y came close to taking the top spot, falling short by only 133 units, with the Mercedes-Benz GLC emerging as the winner with 14,317 sales. This represents a significant decrease of 25.9% compared to the GLC’s sales figures in January 2022, which were 22,331.
However, this outcome may not persist in the coming months, as the Model Y is expected to regain its dominance in China’s premium SUV market, much like it did in 2022. Last year, the Model Y outsold its competitors, with 315,314 units sold, more than double that of the second-placed GLC, which had 148,797 sales.
Additionally, with the recent price reductions on the Model Y and Model 3 in China, and the continued high production rate at Giga Shanghai, Tesla is poised for another successful year in China in 2023.
