The Tesla Model Y is still China’s best-selling premium SUV — even if it practically had zero sales in April.
Tesla China saw a 97.7% dip in sales last month, thanks to Giga Shanghai’s three-week shutdown. Tesla only sold 960 Model Ys in April, a 98% decline from the 39,730 that were sold in March.
But despite this, the Tesla Model Y’s performance from January to March was so strong that it was still enough to place the vehicle on top of China’s premium SUV rankings.
As per data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), Tesla sold a total of 75,641 in the first four months of the year. That’s a rise of 246.5% year-over-year. In comparison, Tesla China sold a total of 22,829 Model Y from January to April 2021.
Following the Tesla Model Y is the Mercedes-Benz GLC, which took the place of China’s second-best-selling premium SUV in the first four months of the year. Its gap with the Model Y is substantial, however, as it sold only 53,946 units from January to April 2022.
The Model Y’s sibling, the Model 3 sedan, also performed quite well despite Giga Shanghai’s long shutdown in April. In the four months of the year, Tesla sold 34,171 units of the midsize sedan, making it the county’s sixth best-selling new energy sedan for the period.
Tesla Giga Shanghai returned to operations on April 19, and earlier this month, a report emerged suggesting that the company was looking to adopt two shifts in the latter half of May. This is expected to bring the facility back to its pre-lockdown production levels.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
