Tesla's June China-made EV sales see first rise in 9 months, but quarterly fall continues
Deliveries of Model 3 and Model Y vehicles made in its Shanghai factory, including both China sales and exports to Europe and other markets, rose 16.1% from May to 71,599 units, data from the China Passenger Car Association showed on Wednesday.
By comparison, global car sales for BYD (002594.SZ), opens new tab, Tesla's biggest Chinese rival, increased 11% year-on-year to 377,628 units last month.
Tesla recorded the fastest-ever model ramp-up with just six weeks to full production of the refreshed Model Y in its largest manufacturing hub in Shanghai earlier this year.
But its sales in China and Europe have been cooling and mounting pressures from rivals and the political backlash against CEO Elon Musk are dragging on demand.
Sales of its China-made EVs in the April-June period slid 6.8% on-year, the third quarterly decline in a row.
Tesla's China-made EVs accounted for 51.3% of its global deliveries in the first quarter.
The U.S. EV maker is expected to report another fall in global quarterly deliveries later on Wednesday.
For all of 2025, Tesla's EV sales are expected to drop 10% this year to make up 13% of the global market, while BYD's global EV sales are forecast to grow by 45% to a record high or one-fifth of the world's total, according to Counterpoint Research.
Xiaomi's (1810.HK), opens new tab new YU7 SUV, priced from 253,500 yuan ($35,396), nearly 4% below the Model Y, the best-selling SUV in China in May, received exceptionally strong initial orders.
The SU7 sedan, the first EV from the smartphone maker turned automaker, has outsold Tesla's Model 3 on a monthly basis since December.
Tesla has yet to further cut prices in China to fend off the YU7, as some analysts have speculated it may do. Instead, it raised the price of the long-range variant of Model 3 by 3.6% in China on Tuesday and upgraded the range by 40 km to 753 km (468 miles).
($1 = 7.1618 Chinese yuan renminbi)
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NBC News
32 minutes ago
- NBC News
Tesla robotaxi incidents spark confusion and concerns in Austin
Two weeks into Tesla's robotaxi prototype rollout on the streets of Austin, Texas, a string of viral videos showing apparent mishaps and the severely limited access to the service have caused a cloud of confusion and concern around the vehicles and their safety. Tesla launched its Austin service on June 22. People who've gotten an invitation, a group that appears to be composed largely of influencers adjacent to and acolytes of CEO Elon Musk, use an app to call for a ride, similar to ride-hailing apps Uber and Lyft. Each ride costs $4.20, a cannabis-associated number that Musk frequently uses. The service is somewhat of a prototype. Although no human is in the driver's seat, each car has a company employee in the front passenger seat who can stop the car with a button if there are safety concerns. Tesla says its experimental software is driving the vehicles. Experts in the field of autonomous driving say it's too early to judge the success or failure of the venture. Federal regulators and some local and state politicians say they're concerned about several incidents — documented on camera and shared on social media — where the cars appeared to break traffic laws or put people in danger. Some people who've used competing robotaxi services, such as Google spinoff Waymo, yawned at what they considered old technology. Even the stock market shrugged off the launch, with no lasting imprint on Tesla's share price. Tesla did not respond to requests for comment on how the service is going. Several key metrics, such as how many miles it has driven and how often Tesla employees need to intervene with the driving software, remain mysteries. Because the service operates only in Texas, where there are currently minimal rules surrounding autonomous vehicles, the company is not required to report such information to regulators at any level of government. In the first days of the rollout, videos of Tesla robotaxis appearing to violate traffic laws or behave oddly proliferated online. In one, a Tesla dropping off a passenger did so in the middle of an intersection. In another, a Tesla drives on the wrong side of a double yellow line. In at least two videos, its robotaxis are traveling faster than the posted speed limit. And in several examples, the Tesla cars brake suddenly and passengers say they were confused as to why. In all, NBC News found 13 instances in videos online where a Tesla appeared to break the rules or otherwise make a mistake. In each case, NBC News contacted the people who made the videos but did not hear back. Some elected officials in Austin said they're worried about the incidents. 'There are just a lot of errors,' said Vanessa Fuentes, a member of the Austin City Council and the mayor pro tempore, meaning she runs council meetings when the mayor is absent, in a phone interview. 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He said the situation reminded him of problems associated with Cruise robotaxis in Austin in 2023, when residents complained that Cruise cars were making unsafe turns and being a nuisance. Cruise shuttered last year. Qadri said he has not heard similar complaints from constituents about Waymo, which also operates there. It's not clear whether Tesla could face local consequences for such incidents, such as traffic tickets, for breaking any laws. Fuentes said the process in Austin for ticketing a robotaxi is more complicated than simply writing a ticket for a driver: A police officer must draft a complaint affidavit, send it to a lieutenant, and then have the affidavit witnessed and sent to a municipal court. The Austin Police Department said in a statement: 'As with any company operating autonomous technology on public roadways, when a potential legal or safety concern is brought to our attention, we promptly share it with the company. These concerns are then addressed through our regular meetings, where we follow up on the issue and review the steps taken to resolve it. Our priority is to maintain public safety while supporting innovation in transportation,' the department said. Federal regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also took notice of the safety incidents, saying in a statement June 23 that the agency 'is aware of the referenced incidents and is in contact with the manufacturer to gather additional information.' Texas state Rep. Vikki Goodwin, a Democrat whose district includes part of Austin, said she wants Tesla to proceed cautiously. 'I think that it's in their interest to make sure safety is top of mind and that nothing goes wrong. Otherwise, that could really derail their plans for launching it fully,' she said. Goodwin was one of seven Texas lawmakers who sent a letter to Tesla on June 18 asking for the company to delay the launch of its robotaxis until Sept. 1 — the day a new law regarding autonomous vehicles is set to go into effect. Tesla did not delay its launch, but Goodwin said the company did respond to their letter, saying it would update its policies to ensure that it would be compliant with the new law. Goodwin said part of her desire for caution comes from owning a Tesla herself and experiencing unexpected maneuvers while using the company's driver-assistance software. 'I've had personal experience with using cruise control and having the car brake for me, which can be very disturbing,' she said. 'I've had that experience on a number of occasions, and it just leads me to believe that it really is important to have a person in the vehicle.' 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BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
West Sussex to get extra electric vehicle charging points
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Powys County Times
2 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Powys councillors call for Elon Musk style DOGE officer
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