Tesla’s deliveries in China jumped to an all-time high in December, buoyed by a buying spree before the government withdrew part of a tax incentive.
Adding exports, the plant sold a total of 97,171 vehicles last month, up 3.6 per cent from a year earlier. It was the Gigafactory’s second-largest monthly delivery volume, trailing only November 2022, when it handed 100,291 vehicles to both domestic and overseas buyers.
“Tesla still has a big fan base in China and they view its vehicles as their top choices,” said Chen Jinzhu, CEO of consultancy Shanghai Mingliang Auto Service. “They wanted to complete purchases before authorities phased out a tax holiday for EV buyers.”
Mainland buyers had been exempt from a 10 per cent tax on purchases of eligible green cars until December 31, as part of Beijing’s push to curb emissions. From January 1, the tax was set at 5 per cent until the end of 2027, when it will return to 10 per cent.
For 2025, Tesla reported sales of about 625,000 vehicles on the mainland, down nearly 5 per cent from 2024. It was the first time that the US carmaker reported a contraction in mainland sales since its Shanghai-based plant started operations in 2020.
