Tesla, the U.S. automaker, sold 62,167 China-made electric vehicles in April, marking an 18% drop from the same period last year, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) released on Tuesday.
The decline in deliveries of China-made Model 3 and Model Y vehicles was even steeper, sliding 30.2% from March. Despite this, Tesla’s China-made cars are also exported to various markets, including Europe, although the CPCA did not provide a breakdown of Tesla exports by destination.
“The sharp slide in Tesla’s China-made EV sales contrasts with rising EV sales in the world’s largest auto market, albeit at the slowest pace in a year in the first quarter, amid slowing demand and a ferocious price war,” said a spokesperson from the CPCA.
China’s new-energy vehicle sales, including battery-powered EVs and plug-in hybrids, were estimated to reach 800,000 units in April, up 33% from the previous year but down 2% from the month before, according to CPCA data.
In contrast to Tesla’s performance, its biggest Chinese rival BYD saw a significant increase in sales, with its Dynasty and Ocean lineups of EVs and plug-in hybrids selling 312,048 passenger vehicles in April, up 48.97% year-on-year and a 3.5% increase from March.
Tesla’s challenges in the Chinese market come after the company saw first-quarter vehicle deliveries fall for the first time in nearly four years. The company responded by announcing layoffs of more than 10% of its global workforce at the beginning of the second quarter and slashing vehicle prices in major markets, including the United States, China, and Europe.
“While Tesla’s deliveries of China-made EVs skidded 19% year-on-year in February before edging up 0.2% in March, the decline was partly due to the shifted timings of the Chinese Lunar New Year that fell in February this year instead of January,” the spokesperson added.
