Tesla’s first-quarter deliveries on the mainland fell to the lowest level in three years, slumping nearly 22 per cent as its Chinese rivals clipped at its heels with newer and more affordable electric vehicles (EV).
The US carmaker delivered 172,754 cars from its Shanghai Gigafactory 3 in the first three months of the year versus 220,876 units in the same period a year earlier, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association. The sales were also the lowest since the second quarter of 2022 when 122,100 cars were delivered. The deliveries include sales on the mainland and exports.
In March, deliveries jumped 157 per cent year on year to 78,828 units, after production of a refreshed Model Y was ramped up. On a monthly basis, deliveries fell 11.5 per cent from 89,064 units in February.
“Competition in the Chinese market remains fierce and Tesla’s sales in its major markets outside China are stuck in a downward spiral,” said Phate Zhang, founder of Shanghai-based EV data provider CnEVPost.
Meanwhile, BYD, the world’s top EV maker, extended its lead over Tesla in the pure EV category for a second quarter. Including hybrids, it has been dominant for 12 quarters. Shenzhen-based BYD delivered 416,388 units of pure EVs in the first quarter, an increase of 39 per cent from a year earlier, while sales of hybrids soared 76 per cent to 569,710 units.
