Tesla's April sales in China may have been negatively impacted by consumer expectations of price cuts. It raised the prices of all its models in China this week, seemingly aimed at dampening such expectations.
Tesla sold 75,842 China-made vehicles in April, including exports, according to data released today by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).
That's up 4,916.01 percent from 1,512 units in the same month last year but down 14.66 percent from 88,869 units in March.
Last April's low base was due to disruptions to Tesla's production in China when Shanghai, where its plant is located, went into Covid lockdown at the end of March last year. The plant produces the Model 3 sedan as well as the Model Y crossover.
The sales include those in China as well as those for export, and the breakdown is expected to be available in the coming days.
In January-April, Tesla's China-made vehicle sales were 305,164, up 66.13 percent from 183,686 in the same period last year, data monitored by CnEVPost showed.
Tesla's April sales in China may have been negatively impacted by consumer expectations of price cuts.
The US electric vehicle maker cut prices for the Model 3 as well as the Model Y in several markets around the world in the first half of April, raising concerns about whether it would cut prices in China.
This may have caused many potential consumers to wait for Tesla to cut prices in China, thus delaying the purchase of the car.
On April 14, Grace Tao, Tesla's vice president of external affairs, shared several charts on Weibo showing that all versions of the Model 3 and Model Y available in the Chinese mainland are priced lower than in all other markets.
Tao shared these charts without comment, although she seemed to be suggesting at the time that Tesla would not be dropping prices in China.
On May 2, Tesla raised the prices of its full lineup of Model 3 and Model Y in China by RMB 2,000 ($290), a small margin that meant the move may be aimed more at dispelling consumer wait-and-see sentiment.
Earlier today, Tesla raised the prices of the new Model S and Model X in China, and also offered 3 years of free supercharging for the two more expensive models.
The Model 3 now starts at RMB 231,900 in China, the Model Y at RMB 263,900, the Model S at RMB 808,900 and the Model X at RMB 898,900.
($1 = RMB 6.9119)
