- In the first five months of the year, Tesla‘s retail sales in the Chinese domestic market was 201,926 units, a decrease of 7.82 percent year-on-year.
- So far this year, Tesla’s retail sales volume in China declined year-on-year in four out of the five months.
Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) saw its retail sales in the Chinese domestic market continue to decline last month, as several major domestic automakers cut prices.
The US electric vehicle (EV) maker sold 38,588 vehicles in China in May, a 30.11 percent decrease from the 55,215 units sold in the same month last year, despite a 34.31 percent increase from the 28,731 units sold in April, according to data released today by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).
This marks the fourth year-on-year decline in Tesla’s retail sales in China for the first five months of the year. It saw an 18.80 percent year-on-year increase in March.
From January to May, Tesla’s retail sales in China’s domestic market totaled 201,926 units, a year-on-year decrease of 7.82 percent.
At the end of last month, several automakers, including BYD (HKG: 1211, OTCMKTS: BYDDY) and Chery, implemented significant price cuts, which may have impacted Tesla’s sales in China.
Tesla has a factory in Shanghai that produces the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover, delivering to domestic customers and serving as an export hub.
The factory — Giga Shanghai — exported 23,074 vehicles in May, up 32.93 percent from 17,358 in the same period last year, though down 22.38 percent from 29,728 in April.
From January to May, Tesla’s Shanghai factory exported 90,949 vehicles, down 33.40 percent year-on-year.
China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) retail sales in May reached 1,021,000 units, up 28.14 percent year-on-year and up 12.82 percent month-on-month, according to the CPCA.
Battery electric vehicle (BEV) retail sales reached 607,000 units, up 22.42 percent year-on-year and up 8.59 percent month-on-month.
This means that Tesla’s market share in China’s NEV market in May was 3.78 percent, down from 6.87 percent in the same period last year, though higher than 3.17 percent in April.
In the BEV market, Tesla’s market share in China in May was 6.36 percent, down from 11.15 percent in the same period last year, though higher than 5.14 percent in April.
Including exports, Tesla China sold 61,662 vehicles in May, a decrease of 15.03 percent from the 72,573 units sold in the same period last year, though an increase of 5.48 percent from the 58,459 units sold in April.
This marks the eighth consecutive month of year-on-year decline in Tesla China’s wholesale sales since October 2024, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.
In the first five months of the year, Tesla China sold 292,875 vehicles, including exports. This represents a 17.64 percent decrease from the 355,616 sold in the same period last year.
The Model Y’s wholesale sales, including exports, totaled 39,527 units in May, a decrease of 12.86 percent from the 45,359 units sold in the same period last year, despite a 16.39 percent increase from the 33,960 units sold in April.
From January to May, the Model Y’s wholesale sales, including exports, totaled 162,781 units, a decrease of 23.59 percent from the 213,028 units sold in the same period last year.
The Model 3’s wholesale sales, including exports, in May were 22,135 units, a decrease of 18.66 percent from the 27,214 units in the same period last year, and a decrease of 9.65 percent from the 24,499 units in April.
In the first five months of the year, the wholesale sales volume of the Model 3, including exports, was 130,094 units, a decrease of 8.76 percent from the 142,588 units in the same period last year.
Tesla is offering Chinese customers who purchase its cars through referral program a discount of RMB 8,000 ($1,110) on optional body paint in June.
