Tesla is an important piece of the mainstream electric vehicle (EV) adoption puzzle, and it’s still making a dent in China, despite growing competition and criticism.
The ultra-affordable and golf cart-like Wuling HongGuang Mini EV once again dominated the Chinese auto market in April, topping sales charts according to EV Sales.
While the cheaper Wuling Mini EV sold 29,251 units total, Tesla’s Model 3 trailed behind with 6,264 units sold, and also 5,407 units of its Model Y compact crossover SUV, for a total of 11,671 cars sold in China, based on data shared by EV Sales.
Tesla produced 25,845 cars at Gigafactory Shanghai in April, but about two-thirds of those vehicles were made for export to Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
Despite recent privacy concerns from the Chinese government, as well as widespread public criticism on Weibo following a protest at Auto Shanghai, Tesla has remained a mainstay in what is the world’s largest auto market, landing both the number 2 and number 5 spots in April sales.
Immediately behind the Tesla Model 3 was the BYD Han EV which sold 5,746 units, followed by the Li Xiang One EREV and the Tesla Model Y, with 5,539 and 5,407 units sold, respectively.
The Wuling Mini EV was not only April’s top-selling EV, but it also landed the third spot in overall auto sales, making it more and more likely that the company will surpass half a million units sold by the end of the year.
Aside from the Wuling HG Mini EV topping sales charts, for 2021 through April, Tesla’s Model 3 ranks second with 59,122 cars sold in China, holding 9% of EV sales. Tesla’s Model Y is in the fifth spot with 21,829 cars sold and combined, Tesla has 12% of EV sales in China, far above local competitors.
Overall, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) also reached an 8.2% market share in April, with Tesla having led the global charge for EV sales worldwide.
