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Tesla China sees strongest vehicle registrations year-to-date as Q2 nears end

Credit: Tesla Asia/X

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Tesla China ended the week of June 17-23, 2024 with 17,500 new vehicle registrations. This represents a 49% improvement from the 11,700 registrations that the electric car maker saw the previous week. It also represents the strongest week of new vehicle registrations for Tesla China year to date. 

Tesla China does not report its weekly sales figures, though a general idea of the company’s overall performance in the domestic Chinese auto market can be inferred through the number of new vehicle registrations. Fortunately, these registrations are tracked closely by industry watchers. Automakers such as Li Auto have even made a habit of sharing vehicle registration data on a weekly basis. 

And as per Li Auto’s recent data, Tesla China saw 17,500 new vehicle registrations in the week ending June 23, 2024. Considering Tesla China’s registrations last week, which are the strongest this year so far, the electric vehicle maker’s year-to-date sales this 2024 are lagging just about 4.6% compared to the same period in 2023. If Tesla China could end the second quarter on a strong note, this gap may prove even smaller by the end of the quarter. 

Estimates from industry watchers also suggest that among Tesla China’s 17,500 new vehicle registrations, 6,000 were reengineered Model 3 sedans. This bodes well for the all-electric sedan, particularly the new Tesla Model 3 Performance, which started its customer deliveries in China recently. 

Giga Shanghai serves as Tesla’s largest electric vehicle factory by volume, and it is also the company’s primary vehicle export hub. With this in mind, Tesla China typically allots a significant amount of its resources to vehicle exports in the first half of a quarter. This means that domestic vehicle orders from customers in China are typically delivered in the latter half of a quarter. 

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Tesla China’s strong registrations in the week ending June 23 could then be an indication that such a strategy is still being adopted. The numbers could also suggest that Tesla China’s exports this June 2024 would likely be lower than May’s 17,358 vehicles, as noted in a CNEV Post report. Expectations are currently high that Tesla China’s domestic sales this June would reach about 55,000 units, as per Deutsche Bank analyst Wang Bin. 

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Op-Ed: How the new Tesla Model Y became China’s best-selling car in March

With just a few weeks’ worth of local deliveries, the new Tesla Model Y saw enough consumer interest in China to make it a best-seller.

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Credit: Tesla Asia/X

Recent news from China has revealed that the country’s best-selling car in March 2025 is also one of its newest. Despite deliveries in the country being ongoing for only a few weeks, the new Tesla Model Y ended March as the country’s best-selling vehicle.

In this article, we explore how the new Model Y was able to accomplish this feat despite its recent deliveries, as well as the reasons why the all-electric crossover was able to beat rivals from Chinese New Energy Vehicle (NEV) giant BYD.

The New Model Y’s Domination

Rankings from China last month indicate that Tesla was able to sell 43,370 new Model Y units in March 2025. This was despite the revamped all-electric crossover only starting domestic deliveries in late February. This means with just a few weeks’ worth of local deliveries, the new Model Y saw enough consumer interest to make it a best-seller.

A BYD Comparison

Skeptics might find it difficult to rationalize how a vehicle that sold 43,370 units became China’s best-selling car in March, especially since local automaker BYD sold far more new energy vehicles during the month. As per BYD, it sold a total of 395,091 units in March, though this is comprised of battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and commercial vehicles across its multiple brands. 

As noted in a CNEV Post report, BYD’s top seller in March 2025 was its Song family of vehicles, which sold 96,087 units. The Song family is comprised of the Song L EV, Song L DM-i, and Song Pro DM-i of the Dynasty series, as well as the Song Plus EV and Song Plus DM-i of the Ocean series. 

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BYD’s second-best-selling vehicle is the Qin family, which sold 58,383 units in March. The Qin family includes the Qin Plus DM-i, Qin Plus EV, and the Qin L EV. In third place is the Seal family, which sold 44,563 units during the month. The BYD Seal family is comprised of vehicles like the Seal sedan, Seal 06 GT hatchback, Seal 07 DM-i, Seal 06 DM-i, and Seal U SUV.

Advantages of a Limited Lineup

Looking at BYD’s results in March, it is difficult not to be impressed by the Chinese automaker’s numbers. However, due to BYD’s immense vehicle lineup, such as the Song family comprising several models, each model’s raw sales numbers were lower than the new Model Y’s 43,370 units in March.

This is quite the advantage for Tesla’s lineup. Since Gigafactory Shanghai only produces the Model 3 and Model Y, the domestic sales of both vehicles are very concentrated. This may also be one of the reasons why the new Model Y’s sales in March proved enough to make the vehicle into China’s best-selling car, even if Giga Shanghai is still ramping its production of the all-electric crossover.

Just a Good Car

While Elon Musk’s political nature and close ties with U.S. President Donald Trump may play some role in Tesla’s sales in the United States and Europe, his political views may not be a factor at all for a good number of car buyers in China, which also happens to be the world’s largest electric vehicle market.

In China, at least, it appears that the Model Y is a popular choice for consumers simply because it is a vehicle that presents excellent value for its price. That’s a difficult combination to beat, even for BYD, which is currently China’s undisputed king of the NEV market.

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Neuralink’s Patient Registry is now open globally

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(Credit: Neuralink/YouTube)

Neuralink opened its patient registry to people globally, broadening access to its brain-computer interface trials.

“The Neuralink Patient Registry is now open globally! If you have quadriplegia and are interested in exploring groundbreaking ways to control a computer using your thoughts, you can now sign up from anywhere in the world,” the company announced in a recent X post.

Interested individuals can join by submitting their email through Neuralink’s patient portal.

The tech firm currently runs two feasibility trials: the PRIME Study and the CONVOY Study. While Neuralink didn’t clarify which study the registry targets, accepted patients are likely to participate in the PRIME Study, which is focused on its Link brain-computer interface (BCI). The CONVOY Study explores brain-controlled assistive robotic devices.

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In February, Neuralink shared details on PRIME Study participants—Conrad, Alex, and Brad—who showcased transformative experiences with Link. Alex, a PRIME participant, also enrolled as the inaugural participant in the CONVOY Study. Unlike PRIME’s broad testing of Link, CONVOY zeroes in on controlling devices like an assistive robotic arm (ARA).

ARA control expands autonomy beyond smart devices and could allow people with paralysis to perform tasks in daily life such as feeding themselves and handling physical objects,” Neuralink explained.

The global registry rollout marks a milestone for Neuralink, amplifying its reach to those with quadriplegia. With PRIME and CONVOY advancing, the company edges closer to merging human cognition with technology, potentially reshaping assistive solutions.

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Investor's Corner

BYD to overtake Tesla in BEV sales this 2025: Counterpoint Research

Counterpoint’s insights were shared by the market researcher on its official website.

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BYD-5-minute-ev-charging
(Credit: BYD)

Counterpoint Research has estimated that Chinese automaker BYD will be able to overtake American electric car maker Tesla in Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) sales this 2025.

Counterpoint’s insights were shared by the market researcher on its official website.

The (Counter)Point

Counterpoint Research’s latest Global Passenger EV Forecast suggests that BYD will be capturing a 15.7% global market share this year. This is expected to be driven by scale, innovation, and strong backing from the Chinese government.

The market researcher highlighted a number of factors that could help BYD become the world’s premier BEV maker this year. These include the company’s 1,000-kW ultra-fast charging technology and 10C charging rate batteries, which exceed Tesla’s current Supercharger offerings.

“The system can deliver 400 km of range in just 5 minutes, setting a new industry benchmark, far outpacing Tesla’s Supercharger, which adds about 275 km in 10 minutes. This technological leap is expected to significantly ease consumer concerns around charging time and boost EV adoption by reducing charging anxiety,” Abhik Mukherjee, Research Analyst at Counterpoint, stated

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The Tesla Factor

Counterpoint argued that Tesla, in comparison, is confronting several challenges, from damaged public perception due to CEO Elon Musk’s politics to geopolitical tensions between the United States and key markets like China. The market researcher highlighted Tesla’s soft sales in Europe and other markets, though it did not seem to consider the company’s changeover to the new Model Y across its global factories in Q1 2025.

“CEO Elon Musk has scored somewhat of an own goal against Tesla, and we are about to catch a glimpse of how much the company’s sales were hurt in Q1 2025. This is a big opportunity for BYD and if they deliver on the fast-charging promise, this could be the turning point for BYD and the China BEV story globally,” Counterpoint Associate Director Liz Lee stated.

Not the First Forecast

As noted in a CNEV Post report, this is not the first time that Counterpoint has predicted that BYD will overtake Tesla’s BEV sales. Last July, the market researcher expected BYD to overtake Tesla in 2024 to become the world’s top BEV maker. Tesla still beat BYD’s BEV sales at the end of 2024, however, with the American EV maker delivering a total of 1,789,226 vehicles globally versus the Chinese automaker’s 1,764,992 units.

In Q1 2025, however, BYD does seem to have momentum. BYD sold 416,388 passenger BEVs in the first quarter. As per Tesla’s Q1 vehicle delivery and production report, the company was able to deliver a total of 336,681 vehicles in the first quarter of 2025.

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