Tesla China sells 72,573 cars in May, up 16.74% from Apr

In the January-May period, Tesla China sold 355,616 vehicles, down 7.12 percent from 382,859 in the same period last year.

Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) saw a rebound in China-made vehicles sold last month, though it was still lower than the same period last year.

Tesla China sold 72,573 vehicles in May, including those sold in China and those exported to overseas markets, according to data released today by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

That’s up 16.74 percent from 62,167 in April, but down 6.59 percent from 77,695 units in the same period last year.

In the January-May period, Tesla China sold 355,616 vehicles, down 7.12 percent from 382,859 in the same period last year, data compiled by CnEVPost showed.

Tesla has a factory in Shanghai that currently has an annual production capacity of more than 950,000 vehicles, its largest in the world.

The plant produces the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover, and not only delivers to local consumers, but is also an export hub for Tesla. A breakdown of local deliveries and exports is not available at this time.

Tesla’s pattern is to produce cars for export in the first half of the quarter and for the local market in the second half, the company has previously said.

On May 24, Reuters reported that Tesla’s Shanghai factory planned to cut Model Y production by at least 20 percent between March and June.

It’s unclear whether the production cuts will extend into the second half of this year or the Model 3, and whether Tesla’s factories in the US and Germany are taking similar production cuts, the report noted.

Tesla ramped up its marketing in China in May, saying in late May that Chinese customers who complete their vehicle deliveries between May 25 and June 30 will have the chance to win a free tour of its Fremont plant in the US.

During the week of May 27-June 2, a total of 15,200 Tesla vehicles were registered for insurance in China, up 16.03 percent from 13,100 the previous week, according to data shared earlier today by Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI).

China EV insurance registrations for week ending Jun 2: Nio 6,700, Tesla 15,200, BYD 53,400, Xiaomi 2,200