- Tesla delivered 358,023 vehicles globally in the first quarter, with Tesla China contributing 60%.
- Tesla China's first-quarter wholesale deliveries were pushed up to 213,398 vehicles, representing a 23.53% increase from a year earlier.
Tesla's global deliveries in the first quarter fell short of Wall Street expectations, despite a significant rebound in China sales.
The company delivered 358,023 vehicles worldwide in the first quarter, according to a statement Thursday.
This was below the 372,160 average estimate of analysts compiled by Bloomberg, marking the second consecutive quarter that Tesla has missed projections.
Despite the disappointing global figures, Tesla China provided a significant sales contribution.
Tesla China's wholesale volume reached 85,670 vehicles in March. This represents a 46.20% increase from February, extending its rebound momentum, according to a report by CnEVPost earlier today.
The strong March performance pushed Tesla China's first-quarter wholesale deliveries to 213,398 vehicles, representing a 23.53% increase from a year earlier and contributing 59.6% of Tesla's global deliveries.
In the US, Tesla's largest market is entering a new era for EV demand. This follows the loss of federal incentives that had previously subsidized purchases.
Still, Tesla's global deliveries managed to rise 6.34% from a year earlier, when the carmaker paused Model Y production at plants around the globe.
First-quarter deliveries were well short of Tesla's overall production during the period. The company produced 408,386 vehicles in the first quarter.
Tesla delivered a total of 341,893 Model Y and Model 3 vehicles in the first quarter. The two popular models accounted for the bulk of the company's sales and production.
Deliveries of other EVs rose to 16,130. The company is discontinuing its two oldest vehicles, the Model S sedan and Model X SUV.
Aside from the automotive business, Tesla also deployed 8.8 GWh of energy storage products in the first quarter.
Overtaking BYD
| Quarter | Tesla Deliveries | BYD BEV Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 2020 | 88,400 | 18,110 |
| Q2 2020 | 90,650 | 28,151 |
| Q3 2020 | 139,300 | 32,088 |
| Q4 2020 | 180,570 | 52,621 |
| Q1 2021 | 184,800 | 38,599 |
| Q2 2021 | 201,250 | 54,841 |
| Q3 2021 | 241,300 | 91,684 |
| Q4 2021 | 308,600 | 135,686 |
| Q1 2022 | 310,048 | 143,223 |
| Q2 2022 | 254,695 | 180,296 |
| Q3 2022 | 343,830 | 258,610 |
| Q4 2022 | 405,278 | 329,011 |
| Q1 2023 | 422,875 | 264,647 |
| Q2 2023 | 466,140 | 352,163 |
| Q3 2023 | 435,059 | 431,603 |
| Q4 2023 | 484,507 | 526,409 |
| Q1 2024 | 386,810 | 300,114 |
| Q2 2024 | 443,956 | 426,039 |
| Q3 2024 | 462,890 | 443,426 |
| Q4 2024 | 495,570 | 595,413 |
| Q1 2025 | 336,681 | 416,388 |
| Q2 2025 | 384,122 | 606,993 |
| Q3 2025 | 497,099 | 582,522 |
| Q4 2025 | 418,227 | 650,811 |
| Q1 2026 | 358,023 | 310,389 |
Although Tesla's first-quarter deliveries fell short of Wall Street expectations, it regained the lead over BYD in the battery electric vehicle (BEV) market as the latter experienced a significant decline.
BYD's passenger BEV sales in the first quarter totaled 310,389 units, down 25.46% year-on-year and down 52.31% from the fourth quarter of 2025.
This allowed Tesla to outsell BYD by 47,634 BEVs during the quarter. BYD had held the title of the world's top BEV seller by quarterly volume since the fourth quarter of 2024.
In addition to BEV models, BYD also offers a wide range of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).
Including both BEVs and PHEVs, BYD sold 688,993 passenger new energy vehicles (NEVs) in the first quarter, a figure that remains significantly higher than Tesla's.
