Model Y vehicle on display at Tesla’s major store on Jan. 4, 2021 in Shanghai, China.
Gao Yuwen | China Vision Group Getty Images
BEIJING – Tesla’s Model Y is off to a strong start in China, less than three months after delivery began.
The medium-sized SUV was the third-best selling electric car in February at 4,630 vehicles, according to data released Wednesday by the China Passenger Car Association. Taking note in January, the data showed that the car is the ninth best seller among new energy vehicles, a sector that includes electric cars.
Tesla announced on New Year’s Day that its Model Y in China would start delivering at a price that Chinese media said was 30% cheaper than previously announced.
The Model Y was very popular although car sales usually fall during the Lunar New Year holidays, which were in February this year.
Nationwide passenger car sales fell 45.5% in February from January, according to the association. For the first two months of the year, those data showed that nearly 3.34 million passenger cars were sold in China, with new energy vehicles accounting for 7.5%.
Chinese electric car startup business Xpeng and Li Auto both announced a sharp drop in February to just over 2,000 vehicles each and a low forecast for the first quarter. Rival Nio led the group with about twice the delivery in February and a much higher lead for their quarter.
The three Chinese starter vehicles are among the top 15 new energy cars sold in China in the first two months of the year, according to passenger car association data.
Tesla’s Model 3 takes second place
But the start-ups are still weakening larger manufacturers in China’s electric vehicle market.
First place went to the Hongguang Mini, a low-cost electric car developed by a joint venture of General Motors with Wuling Motors and SAIC Motor with the state.
Tesla’s Model 3 sedan, which was China’s best-selling electric car last year, was in second place for February and the first two months of the year, according to association data.
In third place for January and February combined was Han BYD luxury sedan, the data showed. The vehicle, which comes in both high-end and hybrid models, has been in high demand since its launch last summer.
Due to self-reliance, some in China’s automotive industry have cast doubt on the authenticity of society’s figures.