Tesla's China-made EV sales rise 10.3% YoY but fall 28.9% MoM

Tesla (TSLA) reported wholesale deliveries of 67,829 China-made vehicles in October, up 10.3% from a year earlier but a 28.9% decline from September, according to China Passenger Car Association data reported by Reuters.

• Annual growth: October marked the 12th consecutive month that Tesla's China-made vehicle sales increased YoY. The growth rate accelerated from 5% in September.
• Monthly performance: Sales declined from 95,366 vehicles in September to 67,829 in October. Tesla's Shanghai deliveries typically fluctuate throughout the quarter, partly because of export schedules.
• Domestic and international markets: Tesla's Shanghai plant produces the Model 3 and Model Y for both Chinese buyers and international customers. Its wholesale figures include vehicles shipped overseas.
• Export demand: Reuters reported that South Korea received about one-fifth of Tesla's Shanghai exports through September. Separately, Tesla recorded higher vehicle registrations in several European markets in October.
• YTD performance: Tesla's Shanghai factory recorded 810,889 wholesale vehicle sales in the first 10 months of 2026, up 21.4% from the same period last year, CnEVPost reports.

This comes amid Tesla and SpaceX (SPCX) each forming special committees to study a possible merger of the two Elon Musk-led companies. In SpaceX's Q3 earnings call on October 20, Musk noted in the context of the potential merger, "Do I think it would be a good idea? Yes."

Tesla shares are down 0.38% in pre-market trading Tuesday morning and 10.21% year-to-date.

Sources & Further Reading

1. "Tesla's China-made EV sales rise 10.3% y/y in October." Reuters. November 3, 2026.
2. "Tesla China October wholesale sales total 67,829, lowest since February." CnEVPost. November 3, 2026.
3. "SpaceX Q3 2026 Earnings Webcast." SpaceX. October 20, 2026.