Tesla's retail sales in China dropped to 50,047 vehicles in August, a 12.4% decrease compared to 57,152 units sold in the same month last year. This marks the third consecutive month of decline and the lowest August retail performance for the company in China since 2022.
Despite the domestic dip, the Shanghai plant's exports grew for the eighth straight month. In August, Tesla exported 36,119 vehicles, a 38.7% increase year-on-year, although this was a 45.6% drop from the record 66,330 units exported in July.
For the first eight months of 2026, Tesla delivered 316,251 vehicles in China, down 12.4% year-on-year. Conversely, exports during this period reached 331,443 cars, representing a 114.7% increase compared to the same period last year.
In August, Tesla held a 7.2% share of China's battery electric vehicle (BEV) retail market, down from 8.3% a year earlier, but an improvement over July's 4.2%. The total BEV retail market in China reached 698,000 units in August, up approximately 1.7% year-on-year.
Tesla China's total wholesale sales, combining domestic retail and exports, reached 86,166 vehicles in August, up 3.6% year-on-year but down 7.9% from July. Cumulative wholesale sales for the first eight months reached 647,694 vehicles, a 25.6% increase year-on-year.