Gary Zhou 
Key Points
- 🚗 Tesla China sold 74,073 vehicles in September, a 10.9% decrease compared to the previous year.
- 📉 This also represents an 11.98% month-over-month decline from August when 84,159 vehicles were sold.
- 🌏 The figures include both domestic and exported vehicles, as reported by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).
- 📈 Despite the September decline, Tesla’s Q3 2023 sales in China increased by 18.16% year-over-year, accounting for 51.15% of its global deliveries.
- 🇨🇳 Tesla China sold 699,056 vehicles from January to September 2023, marking a significant 44.71% year-over-year increase.
- 🚘 The absence of the Model 3 sedan in September impacted domestic sales, but the new Model 3 is expected to boost results in the upcoming quarter.
- 🌐 Tesla aims to achieve a worldwide delivery milestone of 1.8 million cars in 2023.
Tesla China sold 74,073 Giga Shanghai-made vehicles in September, down 10.9% from the 83,135 units that were sold a year earlier. Considering that Tesla China sold 84,159 vehicles in August, September’s results also represent an 11.98% month-over-month decline.
The figures comprise vehicles that were sold domestically and exported to foreign territories. They were released by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) over the weekend.
While Tesla China saw a decline in sales this September, the electric vehicle maker still posted strong sales for the third quarter overall. In Q3 2023, Tesla sold 222,517 China-made vehicles, up 18.16% year-over-year, as noted in a CNEV Post report. The number also accounts for 51.15% of Tesla’s global deliveries.
For context, Tesla delivered 435,059 vehicles globally in Q3 2023, up 26.53% from a year earlier but down 6.67% from Q2. The company also produced 430,488 vehicles in the third quarter.
Tesla China has so far sold a notable number of vehicles in 2023. As per industry watchers, Tesla China has sold 699,056 Giga Shanghai-made vehicles from the beginning of January to the end of September. That’s a 44.71% year-over-year increase.
It should be noted that Tesla China’s domestic sales were slowed down in September by the absence of the Model 3 sedan. While the Model 3 has been outsold by the Model Y crossover, it still comprises a notable portion of Tesla’s overall sales in China. Tesla released started pre-sales for the new Model 3 in China, which starts at 259,900 yuan ($35,600), though consumer deliveries of the vehicle are yet to begin.
Once domestic deliveries of the new Model 3 are included, Tesla China’s monthly results would likely see a notable improvement. Deliveries of the new Model 3 are expected to begin this fourth quarter, both in China and in territories where the vehicle is offered. Tesla is expected to adopt an aggressive push this fourth quarter, especially as the company is aiming to achieve a worldwide delivery milestone of 1.8 million cars this 2023.
