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The Tesla Model Y is the second best selling vehicle in China in November
The Tesla Model Y was the second best-selling vehicle in China in November.
Tesla has had a fantastic Q4 in China thus far. First, Tesla announced that it had produced over 100,000 units in China, making it a leading EV exporter. Then, the Chinese automotive registration agency stated that Tesla sold over 60,000 vehicles in November alone. Now the Tesla Model Y has been declared the second best-selling vehicle in the country for November.
According to Dongchedi (a Chinese news site) and China’s “Multiplication Association,” reported by @Moneyball_R on Twitter, the Tesla Model Y was the second best-selling vehicle in China in November, selling 52,424 units. The Tesla fell just behind the BYD Song+ DM-i PHEV (56,637 units) and just ahead of the Hongguang Mini EV (31,982 units).
China ICEV+NEV PV Nov retail sales
✴️Top 15 models
?BYD Song DM-i
?Tesla Model Y
?SGMW Hongguang MINI
(DONGCHEDI)
*6/top 10 models NEV; 4/top 10 models EV https://t.co/QokMdyqhSB pic.twitter.com/vKaIVUNIgn— Moneyball (@MoneybaII_R) December 8, 2022
-->Impressively, the Tesla Model Y sold far more units than the traditional leader, the Hongguang Mini EV, and even sold far more units than cheaper gas and hybrid options from Toyota (the Camry, RAV4, and Corrolla), Honda (the Civic, CRV, and Accord), and BYD. On top of that, this demand surge is out of the ordinary for Tesla in China, which is indicated by Dongchedi’s chart, showing that the Tesla Model Y climbed by 24 places compared to last month.
The other surprising statistic is the lack of demand for Tesla’s other mass-market product, the Model 3. The Model 3 placed 45th on the most recent leaderboard, selling 10,069 vehicles in November. This places the Model 3 between the Toyota RAV4 and the Toyota Wildlander (a slightly smaller RAV4 sold in Asian markets). And while the Model 3 also bounded up the leaderboard (up 130 places), it remains unclear why consumers chose the Model Y more consistently.
If it isn’t already apparent, China has fully taken advantage of electric vehicle technology and is working towards 100% EV adoption faster than most countries on Earth. Along with this massively growing demand for the technology, Tesla has been garnering Chinese demand and even issuing discounts to keep demand strong, already issuing two deals in this quarter alone.
Tesla MIC Nov sales
✴️wholesale: 100,291
✴️retail: 62,493
✴️exports: 37,798
(CPCA) pic.twitter.com/uHeD9dnoxZ— Moneyball (@MoneybaII_R) December 8, 2022
-->As Tesla closes the final quarter of the year, Chinese sales will likely be a significant propellant for the brand as it hopes to recover its stock price, which has fallen to record lows this year. But it isn’t evident if Tesla will hit its elusive goal of 500,000 vehicles produced in the quarter and 1.4 million units produced annually.
What do you think of the article? Do you have any comments, questions, or concerns? Shoot me an email at william@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @WilliamWritin. If you have news tips, email us at tips@teslarati.com!
News
Tesla Model 3 named New Zealand’s best passenger car of 2025
Tesla flipped the switch on Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in September, turning every Model 3 and Model Y into New Zealand’s most advanced production car overnight.
The refreshed Tesla Model 3 has won the DRIVEN Car Guide AA Insurance NZ Car of the Year 2025 award in the Passenger Car category, beating all traditional and electric rivals.
Judges praised the all-electric sedan’s driving dynamics, value-packed EV tech, and the game-changing addition of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) that went live in New Zealand this September.
Why the Model 3 clinched the crown
DRIVEN admitted they were late to the “Highland” party because the updated sedan arrived in New Zealand as a 2024 model, just before the new Model Y stole the headlines. Yet two things forced a re-evaluation this year.
First, experiencing the new Model Y reminded testers how many big upgrades originated in the Model 3, such as the smoother ride, quieter cabin, ventilated seats, rear touchscreen, and stalk-less minimalist interior. Second, and far more importantly, Tesla flipped the switch on Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in September, turning every Model 3 and Model Y into New Zealand’s most advanced production car overnight.
FSD changes everything for Kiwi buyers
The publication called the entry-level rear-wheel-drive version “good to drive and represents a lot of EV technology for the money,” but highlighted that FSD elevates it into another league. “Make no mistake, despite the ‘Supervised’ bit in the name that requires you to remain ready to take control, it’s autonomous and very capable in some surprisingly tricky scenarios,” the review stated.
-->At NZ$11,400, FSD is far from cheap, but Tesla also offers FSD (Supervised) on a $159 monthly subscription, making the tech accessible without the full upfront investment. That’s a game-changer, as it allows users to access the company’s most advanced system without forking over a huge amount of money.
News
Tesla starts rolling out FSD V14.2.1 to AI4 vehicles including Cybertruck
FSD V14.2.1 was released just about a week after the initial FSD V14.2 update was rolled out.
It appears that the Tesla AI team burned the midnight oil, allowing them to release FSD V14.2.1 on Thanksgiving. The update has been reported by Tesla owners with AI4 vehicles, as well as Cybertruck owners.
For the Tesla AI team, at least, it appears that work really does not stop.
FSD V14.2.1
Initial posts about FSD V14.2.1 were shared by Tesla owners on social media platform X. As per the Tesla owners, V14.2.1 appears to be a point update that’s designed to polish the features and capacities that have been available in FSD V14. A look at the release notes for FSD V14.2.1, however, shows that an extra line has been added.
“Camera visibility can lead to increased attention monitoring sensitivity.”
Whether this could lead to more drivers being alerted to pay attention to the roads more remains to be seen. This would likely become evident as soon as the first batch of videos from Tesla owners who received V14.21 start sharing their first drive impressions of the update. Despite the update being released on Thanksgiving, it would not be surprising if first impressions videos of FSD V14.2.1 are shared today, just the same.
-->Rapid FSD releases
What is rather interesting and impressive is the fact that FSD V14.2.1 was released just about a week after the initial FSD V14.2 update was rolled out. This bodes well for Tesla’s FSD users, especially since CEO Elon Musk has stated in the past that the V14.2 series will be for “widespread use.”
FSD V14 has so far received numerous positive reviews from Tesla owners, with numerous drivers noting that the system now drives better than most human drivers because it is cautious, confident, and considerate at the same time. The only question now, really, is if the V14.2 series does make it to the company’s wide FSD fleet, which is still populated by numerous HW3 vehicles.
News
Waymo rider data hints that Tesla’s Cybercab strategy might be the smartest, after all
These observations all but validate Tesla’s controversial two-seat Cybercab strategy, which has caught a lot of criticism since it was unveiled last year.
Toyota Connected Europe designer Karim Dia Toubajie has highlighted a particular trend that became evident in Waymo’s Q3 2025 occupancy stats. As it turned out, 90% of the trips taken by the driverless taxis carried two or fewer passengers.
These observations all but validate Tesla’s controversial two-seat Cybercab strategy, which has caught a lot of criticism since it was unveiled last year.
Toyota designer observes a trend
Karim Dia Toubajie, Lead Product Designer (Sustainable Mobility) at Toyota Connected Europe, analyzed Waymo’s latest California Public Utilities Commission filings and posted the results on LinkedIn this week.
“90% of robotaxi trips have 2 or less passengers, so why are we using 5-seater vehicles?” Toubajie asked. He continued: “90% of trips have 2 or less people, 75% of trips have 1 or less people.” He accompanied his comments with a graphic showing Waymo’s occupancy rates, which showed 71% of trips having one passenger, 15% of trips having two passengers, 6% of trips having three passengers, 5% of trips having zero passengers, and only 3% of trips having four passengers.
The data excludes operational trips like depot runs or charging, though Toubajie pointed out that most of the time, Waymo’s massive self-driving taxis are really just transporting 1 or 2 people, at times even no passengers at all. “This means that most of the time, the vehicle being used significantly outweighs the needs of the trip,” the Toyota designer wrote in his post.
-->Cybercab suddenly looks perfectly sized
Toubajie gave a nod to Tesla’s approach. “The Tesla Cybercab announced in 2024, is a 2-seater robotaxi with a 50kWh battery but I still believe this is on the larger side of what’s required for most trips,” he wrote.
With Waymo’s own numbers now proving 90% of demand fits two seats or fewer, the wheel-less, lidar-free Cybercab now looks like the smartest play in the room. The Cybercab is designed to be easy to produce, with CEO Elon Musk commenting that its product line would resemble a consumer electronics factory more than an automotive plant. This means that the Cybercab could saturate the roads quickly once it is deployed.
While the Cybercab will likely take the lion’s share of Tesla’s ride-hailing passengers, the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover would be perfect for the remaining 9% of riders who require larger vehicles. This should be easy to implement for Tesla, as the Model Y and Model 3 are both mass-market vehicles.
Tesla Model 3 named New Zealand’s best passenger car of 2025
Tesla starts rolling out FSD V14.2.1 to AI4 vehicles including Cybertruck
