Tesla sets sales record in China

Tesla China’s vehicle sales in December 2021 reached 70,847 vehicles, up 197.6 percent year-on-year and 34 percent higher than November 2021. Of which, 70,602 electric cars are sold domestically and 245 are exported abroad.

This huge number was recently announced by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). The number of cars sold in November 2021 was 52,859 units, so it is a big miracle that this number increases more strongly in December.

Because Tesla usually focuses on exporting vehicles in the first half of each quarter, the number of vehicles exported in December was relatively low. Typically, domestic sales are low in the first few months and increase sharply in the last month of the quarter. For example, Tesla China only announced sales with more than 13,000 domestic vehicles sold in October 2021 but increased to about 31,700 vehicles a month later.

As Giga Shanghai became Tesla’s main vehicle export hub, the facility’s electric vehicle production is now split between domestic and international markets. That means Tesla China has not really unleashed its full potential in the domestic electric vehicle segment.

For example, in 2021, Tesla’s full-year domestic sales totaled 319,102 vehicles. However, if Giga Shanghai were allocated more vehicles for the domestic market, this number could have been higher.

The Shanghai factory plays a huge role in Tesla’s overall performance in 2021. Despite the ongoing chip and supply chain shortages, Tesla China still managed to achieve impressive delivery numbers. This year is likely to be another important year for Giga Shanghai as demand for Tesla cars seems to be stronger than ever. Currently, domestic customers have to wait 12 to 16 weeks to be delivered Model 3 and Model Y.