Despite production concerns, tesla sells 32k China-made vehicles in May

The China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) said on Thursday that Tesla sold 32,165 China-made automobiles in May, including 22,340 for export.

In April, 1,152 automobiles were sold but none were exported. In late March, the Tesla plant in Shanghai went on strike for 22 days to comply with a city-wide shutdown.

The Model 3 and Model Y assembly factory reopened on April 19 and began exports on May 11, although output has yet to return to pre-lockdown levels.

According to the organization, Tesla’s Shanghai plant produced 33,544 vehicles in May, increasing 212 percent from April.

BYD, a Chinese automaker, delivered 114,183 vehicles in May. Li Auto delivered 11,496 electric vehicles, while Xpeng Inc delivered 10,125.

In May, China’s passenger automobile sales were 1.37 million, down 17.3 percent from a year ago, according to the CPCA.

CPCA Secretary General Cui Dongshu told reporters that June sales should be 10% to 20% more than a year before. Cui predicted that demand from earlier months, which had been stifled by lockdowns that have since loosened, would bolster June sales.

After China’s efforts to wipe out COVID-19 breakouts across numerous cities disrupted supply chains and depressed demand, the world’s largest car industry is recovering from its lowest monthly dip since March 2020.