Tesla recorded a rebound in sales in China last month, though overall volumes continued to trail the same period last year.
The U.S. electric vehicle maker sold 71,525 vehicles in China in September, its second-highest monthly total this year after March’s 74,127 units, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). The result represented a 25.15% increase from August, narrowing Tesla’s year-on-year retail sales decline to 0.93%, compared with a 9.93% decline in August.
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Despite the improvement, Tesla marked its seventh year-on-year sales decline in China so far this year. The company saw domestic sales growth only in March and June. Tesla’s Shanghai factory produces the Model 3 and Model Y, serving both local and export markets.
In September, Tesla exported 19,287 vehicles from its Shanghai plant — up 19.64% year-on-year, but down 25.93% from August. The company typically prioritizes exports early in each quarter and shifts to domestic production later on.
China’s overall new energy vehicle (NEV) retail sales reached 1.296 million units in September, up 15.5% year-on-year and 16.2% month-on-month, according to the CPCA. Battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales totaled 826,000 units, rising 28.5% year-on-year and 19.8% month-on-month.
Tesla’s market share among NEVs rose slightly to 5.52% in September, from 5.19% in August, while its share of the BEV market increased to 8.66% from 8.33%.
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Including exports, Tesla China’s wholesale sales stood at 90,812 units in September, up 2.82% year-on-year and 9.16% from August. Model Y wholesale volumes reached 59,907 units, a 17.12% year-on-year increase, while Model 3 wholesale volumes totaled 30,905 units, down 16.85% year-on-year but up 27.16% from August.
For the third quarter, Tesla’s retail sales in China totaled 169,294 vehicles, a 6.92% year-on-year decline, marking the company’s second straight quarterly drop in the market. However, sales rose 31.44% compared with the second quarter, reflecting stronger end-of-quarter momentum.
