Sparkling No.1? The Dawn of Change? Tesla SUV Rises to No.1 Among All Models in China

Tesla Model Y, Best-Selling Model Last Month Including Internal Combustion Vehicles

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, is dancing on stage at the Model 3 delivery event held at the Shanghai factory in 2020.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Tesla's electric sports utility vehicle (SUV) Model Y sold 52,150 units in China last month. It was the best-selling single model among all complete car manufacturers selling in China, including internal combustion engine models.

According to the China Passenger Car Association and local media reports on the 10th, Model Y sales increased by about 349% compared to June last year. The Chinese passenger car market is divided into sedans, SUVs, and multi-purpose vans (MPVs), and the Model Y was the best-selling SUV and even outsold the top sedan, Dongfeng Nissan's compact sedan Sylphy (45,767 units).

Looking at the first half performance, that is cumulative sales from January to June this year, Model Y sold 133,666 units, ranking second among SUVs and about sixth among all vehicle types. The top SUV model in the first half was BYD's Song, which mainly produces hybrid and electric vehicles. Until last year, Honda CR-V and major local brands Haval and Changan's main models sold more among SUVs, but this has been reversed.

A truck is transporting cars at the Tesla factory in Shanghai, China.

The increase in Model Y sales is interpreted as a result of the backlog from April and May when factories could not operate properly due to the resurgence of COVID-19, causing vehicle deliveries to be delayed and then released all at once last month. According to local reports, Tesla produced a total of 79,874 units at its Shanghai plant last month, of which 99% were sold locally and about 1% were exported overseas.

In January and February this year, more of the Shanghai plant's production was exported overseas than sold locally. From March onwards, most sales were within China. Tesla's retail sales in China last month totaled 78,906 units, marking a monthly record high. The previous record was 70,847 units in December last year. Tesla's sedan Model 3 sold 25,788 units last month, ranking seventh among all sedans.

China has emerged as the world's largest market not only for complete cars but also for electric vehicles. Local sales in the first half of this year totaled about 9.26 million units. Due to factory lockdown measures around April caused by COVID-19, sales were sluggish, about 7% less than the first half of last year. However, new energy vehicles (electric vehicles + plug-in hybrids) sold more than 530,000 units in just the last month, reaching 2.25 million units in the first half of this year. This means that one out of every four cars sold is an eco-friendly vehicle.

Model Y produced at a factory in Germany

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.