CPCA

In the first two weeks of April, Chinese passenger vehicle wholesale sales averaged 24,000 units per day, down 44 percent year-on-year and down 48 percent from the average for the first two weeks of March.

In China's premium SUV market, Model Y sales of 39,730 units in March were 3.1 times the sales of the Mercedes-Benz GLC.

In April, production and sales in China's auto industry continued to face uncertainty, the CPCA said.

Due to the price hikes, NEV orders before the price hikes performed well, with ample orders overall, the CPCA said.

Average daily retail sales of passenger cars in China fell 18 percent year-on-year in the first four weeks of March, with both the third and fourth weeks down 29 percent year-on-year.

The Model Y trailed the Mercedes-Benz GLC, BMW X3 and Audi Q5 in China in January, but sold about twice as many units as each of them in February.

The Model Y sold 16,358 units in China in January, second only to BYD Song's 20,722 units.

That includes 40,499 units for export and 19,346 units for Tesla's retail sales in China.

The global lithium battery shortage will gradually dissolve as technology improves and capital is invested in huge amounts, he said.

After being overtaken by Europe in 2020, China regains its position as the largest contributor to global new energy passenger vehicle sales in 2021.