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Tesla's China April Sales Jump 36%, FSD Delayed to Q3

5/7/2026

50 9 Full Breakdown

Summary

Tesla China Surge

Tesla sold 79,478 vehicles in China in April, a 35.96% YoY rise, bringing its Jan-Apr total to 292,876 vehicles, up 26.67%.
April volume fell 7.23% from March, placing Tesla fourth among automakers in the Chinese wholesale rankings.
CFO Vaibhav Taneja said Tesla expects Full Self-Driving approval in China by third quarter, delayed from first quarter.
Tesla is developing a cheaper compact SUV in China to defend its market position.

Summary

**BYD Overseas Boom**

Fourteen manufacturers released April 2026 EV sales, with BYD, SAIC Motor and Geely Auto ranking first, second and third at 321,123, 142,500 and 135,600 units.
Chery Group’s sales rose 25.2% to 251,386 vehicles, with NEV sales up 63.8% and exports doubling to a record 177,573 units.
Leapmotor’s 71,387 deliveries, a 73.9% rise, coincided with BYD’s overseas record of 134,542 units, up 70.9% and 40% of its April total.

History

Historical Context

In 2019 Tesla broke new ground by opening the wholly foreign-owned Gigafactory Shanghai, the first such plant approved by the Shanghai municipal government. The factory began rolling out Model 3 cars in December 2019, reached a production capacity of over 750,000 vehicles per year and helped Tesla sell 79,478 cars in China in April 2026, echoing its early market impact.

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Tesla China Surge

Tesla sold 79,478 vehicles in China in April, a 35.96% YoY rise, bringing its Jan-Apr total to 292,876 vehicles, up 26.67%.
April volume fell 7.23% from March, placing Tesla fourth among automakers in the Chinese wholesale rankings.
CFO Vaibhav Taneja said Tesla expects Full Self-Driving approval in China by third quarter, delayed from first quarter.
Tesla is developing a cheaper compact SUV in China to defend its market position.

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