CHONGQING, CHINA - JANUARY 12: A Tesla showroom featuring the brand’s iconic logo and a display of electric vehicles, including a red Model 3 in the foreground, is seen as a family with a stroller walks past on January 12, 2025, in Chongqing, China. Tesla continues to expand its footprint in China, with the Shanghai Gigafactory contributing significantly to the company’s global production capacity. (Photo by Cheng Xin/Getty Images)
Tesla remained a strong contender in Beijing's competitive electric vehicle scene, as the company's China-produced EV sales grew modestly in January from the year before, amid a broader industry slowdown.
According to data published by the China Passenger Car Association on Wednesday, January deliveries from Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory rose by 9% to 69,129 units, from 63,238 in January 2025.
The latest January deliveries places Tesla in third place against other Chinese EV manufacturers. BYD was in the lead at 205,518 shipments, while Geely came in second with 124,252 units, according to the CPCA.
Despite the rise in deliveries, there is little indication of an actual growth in demand for Tesla's offerings in China — the world's largest EV market.
The company's January delivery figures reflect the total number of shipments from Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory, which produces the Model 3 and Model Y for domestic and foreign markets in Europe, the Asia-Pacific, and elsewhere.
New registrations in January for Tesla passenger vehicles — a proxy for sales — rose slightly in Europe, according to Reuters.
Domestic price war
Tesla has faced stiff competition from a number of Chinese EV brands with more affordable offerings. In a separate report, the CPCA noted that the total sales of Tesla's China-produced EVs fell by 4.8% in 2025 — one of only two manufacturers in Beijing that reported declining annual sales from the year before.
At around 235,500 yuan ($33,943), Tesla's base Model 3 sedan costs nearly three times the price of the base model for BYD's Seal, at around 79,800 yuan.
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