TESLA Inc.’s vehicle shipments from its China plant declined for a seventh consecutive month, exacerbating the carmaker’s early-year slump.
Elon Musk’s automaker shipped 58,459 Model 3 sedans and Model Y sport utility vehicles from its Shanghai factory last month, 6% fewer than a year earlier, according to preliminary data released Wednesday. China’s Passenger Car Association didn’t yet offer a breakdown of domestic sales and exports.
China-wide wholesales of new-energy vehicles — which include electric cars and hybrids — are estimated to have risen 42% to 1.14 million units for April, the PCA data show.
Tesla’s global sales fell to a three-year low in the first quarter, in part because car buyers put off by Musk’s involvement in global politics turned away from the brand. The chief executive officer’s actions have spurred protests across the US and Europe.
In France last month, Tesla registered only 863 new vehicles, even as the carmaker ramped up production of its most popular model. In Australia, Tesla sold just 500 vehicles, down 76% year-on-year, in a market where competition with ambitious Chinese EV brands has intensified, data from the Electric Vehicle Council show.
In China, Tesla’s challenges have more to do with strong domestic rivals led by BYD Co. BYD posted its best month of sales yet for 2025 in April, a further sign the Chinese carmaking juggernaut is on track to hit its full-year target of 5.5 million deliveries. –BLOOMBERG
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