Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.
Tesla’s sales in China fell sharply last month, hitting their lowest level in three years, according to China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data shared by a Tesla North reader. The U.S. automaker sold just 26,006 vehicles in October, a steep 35.8% decline year-over-year and down dramatically from the 71,525 units delivered in September. The downturn comes despite Tesla’s recent product refreshes and an expanding lineup in the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) market.
The drop was largely driven by weaker Model Y sales in China, which fell to 19,488 units — the lowest monthly figure since March and down 62% from September. Meanwhile, Tesla’s Model 3 saw a modest rebound, with 6,518 units sold locally, marking a 52% year-over-year gain and breaking a five-month streak of declines.
At the same time, exports of China-made Teslas surged to 35,491 units in October — the company’s highest export volume in two years. Model Y exports alone jumped 214% year-over-year to 19,074 units, reflecting Tesla’s shift toward shipping vehicles abroad amid slowing domestic demand. Overall, Tesla’s share of China’s EV market dropped to just 3.2%, down from 8.7% in September.
October’s performance comes after a relatively strong September, when Tesla posted its first month of positive growth in China during Q3, largely thanks to the launch of the new Model Y L — a longer-wheelbase, six-seat variant exclusive to the Chinese market. But that momentum has since slowed.
Just last week, Tesla introduced the new Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) in China, its longest-range SUV in the market yet at 821 km (CLTC). Still, Tesla faces an uphill battle against competition from domestic automakers like BYD and Xiaomi, with rivals flooding the market with high-volume, lower-cost EVs.
