Tesla's China-made EV sales surge 19.2% Year-on-Year in September

Tesla's sales of China-made electric vehicles in September jumped 19.2% from a year earlier, compared with the same month last year, China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data showed. Domestically, the automaker delivered over 72,000 EVs, a significant 66% year-over-year increase and the automaker’s best month so far in 2023.

Similarly, deliveries of the Model 3 and Model Y, which are also exported to Europe, rose slightly, by 1.9%, from the previous month. Tesla's China-made EVs have picked up the pace in sales, swelling by 12% compared to the same period in 2019 to derive the first quarterly increase this year.

On the other hand, Chinese peer BYD also enjoyed a solid performance, recording passenger vehicle sales for September at a yearly gain of 45.56 percent to 417,603 units. BYD sold 33,012 units, or 7.9 percent of its total sales, overseas in an expansion of its international presence.

Tesla has been offering various incentives to pump up sales in the highly competitive Chinese market. Notably, the company recently extended its zero percent financing program for certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles through the end of October. This move is an effort to draw in consumers, as it increasingly competes with local rivals Xpeng and Nio that have been announcing the release of budget cars and models.

Tesla is expected to roll out a six-seater version of its popular Model Y in China in the latter half of 2025. The automaker is also set to debut its robotaxi on October 10 and plans to launch its Full Self Driving (FSD) advanced driver assistance software in China and Europe next year, subject to approval from regulators.

Such initiatives by Tesla are aimed towards strengthening its market position in the world's largest automotive market and its growth further even in the face of stiff competition.