Tesla offered 28,731 automobiles in China in April, down 8.6% year-on-year and down 62.1% from 78,828 autos in March. The gross sales of automaker’s finest vendor, Mannequin Y, fell 24% to 19,984 models, in contrast with 26,356 in the identical month final 12 months.
In whole, 559,000 all-electric automobiles had been offered in China in April, up 38% from 405,000 in the identical month final 12 months.
Tesla’s export from China reached 29,728 automobiles in April, barely down 3% from 30,746 models in contrast with final 12 months.
Tesla’s share of China’s all-electric automobile market was 5.1% in April, down 11.5% from March.
In whole, Tesla China offered 58,459 automobiles in April, together with home gross sales and exports. That’s 6% down year-on-year and 26% down from 78,828 models in March.
As Tesla China home gross sales fluctuate on account of export periodicity, it’s all the time good to have a look at quarterly or year-to-date information to have the entire image.
Between January and April 2025, Tesla gross sales in China had been 163,338 models, down 0.3% from the identical interval final 12 months. Tesla China exported 67,875 models, down 43% from 119,202 models in January-April final 12 months. In whole, Tesla’s China manufacturing facility offered 231,213 automobiles, down 18% from 283,043 models in January-April 2024.
Editor’s remark
Whereas Tesla’s gross sales hunch in Europe and different areas is principally attributed to public dissatisfaction with its CEO, Elon Musk, in China, Musk is barely a subject. The reason being that there’s merely an excessive amount of competitors in opposition to Tesla. The Mannequin 3 sedan has been in hassle for a number of years, and even the refresh didn’t change that pattern. Too many inexpensive and fierce sedans wished to eat their lunch: BYD Seal, Zeekr 007, Nio ET5, Xpeng P7, Xiaomi SU7, and dozens others.
Thus, Tesla China gross sales had been extremely depending on a single mannequin – its SUV Mannequin Y, which resisted fairly nicely, regardless of going through fashions corresponding to Xpeng G6, Onvo L60, Li Auto L6, BYD Sealion 7 or Zeekr 7X. In 2024, its offered 480,309 models in China and was accountable for 73% of Tesla’s gross sales. However it appears the celebrity of the US automer’s stronghold is fading away now as competitors in Center Kingdom is just too a lot: on one hand China EV startups preventing for survival put strain on worth, on the opposite they inovate at “China pace”, making new mannequin growth cycle 2-3 years, providing 800V charging (Tesla nonetheless has 400V structure on Mannequin Y and Mannequin 3), connectivity, ADAS and in addition a bit patriotism as younger Chinese language consumers don’t have worry of shopping for Chinese language merchandise like their mother and father, who nonetheless keep in mind 90s. The dearth of latest fashions is lastly hurting Tesla in China.
