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Tesla’s China-made electric vehicle sales rose for a fourth straight month in February, supported by a low comparison base from the same period last year. The company said sales of Model 3 and Model Y vehicles produced at its Shanghai plant reached 58,600 units during the month, including exports to overseas markets. This total marked a 91% increase from a year earlier and followed a 9.3% increase in January.
The February total, however, fell 15.2% from January. Tesla’s monthly figures reflected the usual swings seen in the first two months of the year, when Lunar New Year timing can affect production schedules, shipping activity, and vehicle deliveries. Tesla also said its China-made EV deliveries in February 2025 were affected by a partial assembly line suspension for the refreshed Model Y during the holiday period.
Tesla’s Shanghai factory builds the Model 3 and Model Y for both the domestic market and export destinations, including Europe. The 58,600-unit figure extended the run of year-on-year gains in China-made electric vehicle sales to four months. The increase followed a strong end to 2025 and a 9.3% annual gain in January 2026.
The sharp annual rise in February came after a much weaker performance in the same month a year earlier. In February 2025, Tesla sold 30,688 China-made vehicles, the lowest monthly level since August 2022. This period was affected by the Lunar New Year holiday shift and work tied to the Model Y production upgrade. The lower base made the February 2026 comparison more pronounced.
Tesla’s export volume also increased in February. Exports from the Shanghai plant rose about fivefold from a year earlier to 20,000 vehicles. The company’s China-made sales figures include both local deliveries and exports, so the monthly total reflects the plant’s wider role in Tesla’s global supply chain.
The Shanghai factory remains one of Tesla’s most important manufacturing sites. It supports sales in China while also supplying vehicles to international markets. Tesla has used the plant as a major export base for the Model 3 and Model Y, and monthly output from the site often reflects both domestic market conditions and overseas shipment demand.
In addition, Tesla’s China business carried significant weight in recent years. In 2024, the company sold more than 657,000 vehicles in China, a record annual total for the market. China accounted for 36.7% of Tesla’s global deliveries that year, which underscored the market’s importance to the company’s overall results.
The latest February numbers add to that picture, although monthly results remain uneven. Tesla’s sales rose strongly on an annual basis, yet they moved lower from January. The shift reflected the timing of the Lunar New Year and the uneven pattern that often appears in January and February sales data.
Tesla released the February figures as competition in China’s electric vehicle market stayed intense. The company introduced a seven-year, low-interest financing plan in China, and several rivals responded with similar offers. The market has also become more competitive as government subsidies have been scaled back.
BYD, one of Tesla’s main rivals in China, posted a 65% year-on-year drop in China sales last month and introduced its first major battery upgrade in six years. The move came as automakers across the market adjusted product plans and pricing strategies in response to slower demand and tighter competition.
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