Tesla China domestic sales fell 9 percent in September, despite promos. Exports, however, surged to round off the quarter, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).
Chinese car buyers purchased fewer Tesla cars in September year-on-year. The EV maker sold only 64,837 units in the world’s largest auto market, down from 71,525 in the same period last year. This was despite launching new discounts of up to $1,040 on the Model 3 and Model Y.
The story, however, is different in the export category. Tesla shipped 30,529 vehicles from Chinese ports, up 58 percent from 19,287 in September 2025. Combining retail and export, Giga Shanghai produced 95,366 cars, up 5 percent.
September figures mirrored Tesla’s domestic struggles in August. Chinese sales fell year-on-year by 12.4 percent to 57,152, while exports surged 115 percent to 36,119, with some Model 3 units arriving in Canada. Tesla now faces four consecutive months of retail sales decline.
Altogether, Tesla sold 381,088 cars in China in the first three quarters of 2026, with exports not far behind at 361,972. Globally, Tesla has moved 1.32 million EVs since January.
The Chinese auto market is performing worse than Tesla. Retail sales fell 20 percent in September, although the CPCA has not reported full figures for the month yet. Rival BYD fared worse than Tesla, with domestic sales down 13 percent. Its exports, however, outperformed Tesla, jumping more than 150 percent (including plug-in hybrids).
Tesla finished Q3 strong in Europe, with the Model Y leading across the continent.
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