Tesla Model Y was the best-selling SUV in China for May, insurance registrations tracked by China EV DataTracker revealed on Monday. The US automaker sold 24,770 units of its mid-size all-electric SUV.
Its longtime Chinese rival, BYD Song Plus (Seal U in Europe), came in second with 24,240 units—530 fewer than the Model Y.
The third spot among SUVs, with 21,014 sales, goes to the petrol-powered car Xingyue L from Geely.
Model Y reclaimed the title of best-selling SUV, as in April, it ended second with 19,984 sold units, while BYD Song Plus EV sold 20,668 units.
In 2025 (January – May), Tesla sold 126,643 Model Ys in China, while BYD Song Plus sold 110,551. The third spot goes to BYD Song Pro, which sold 80,245 units. Interestingly, all three SUVs’ sales are down about 20% year-over-year.
Despite defending the crown of the best-selling SUV, the US automaker’s year-over-year comparisons don’t look so good. In May, Tesla sales in China were down 30% YoY to 38,588 units. In 2025 so far (Jan – May), Tesla sold 201,926 units in China, down 7.8% from the same period last year. In the last five months, Tesla experienced a year-over-year decline in four of them.
Meanwhile, EV sales in China reached 1,021,000 units in May, up 28% from last year. That includes BEV and PHEV sales. BEV sales reached 607,000 units, up 22.4% from last year.
The exports are not helping Tesla’s Shanghai plant either. In 2025 so far (Jan-May), Tesla exported 90,949 vehicles, down 33.4% from the same period last year. However, in May, it exported 23,074 units, up 33% from 17,358 units last year.
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