- In January-February, Tesla China sold 93,926 vehicles, including exports, a 28.74 percent year-on-year decrease.
- This could be due to the Chinese New Year holiday, and the impact of reported production line adjustments.
Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) saw a further decline in China-made vehicles sold last month, likely due to the impact of the Chinese New Year holiday, and reported production line adjustments.
Tesla China sold 30,688 vehicles in February, including those sold in China and those exported from China to overseas markets, according to data released today by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).
That's down 49.16 percent from 60,365 in the same period last year and down 51.47 percent from 63,238 in January.
In January-February, Tesla China sold 93,926 vehicles, including exports, a 28.74 percent decrease from 131,812 in the same period last year.
This year's Chinese New Year holiday was from January 28 to February 4. Last year the holiday was February 10-17. The holiday usually brings a significant hit to production and deliveries.
Tesla has a factory in Shanghai that makes the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover, both for deliveries to local customers and as an export hub for it.
Figures for Tesla's deliveries in China in February and exports from the Shanghai plant are not yet available.
In addition to the impact of the Chinese New Year holiday, Tesla China's further sales decline in February may also be due to production line adjustments at its Shanghai factory.
Bloomberg cited people familiar with the matter in a January 15 report that Tesla planned to suspend part of its production lines in Shanghai that make its revamped Model Y for about three weeks during the Chinese New Year to better optimize the equipment.
The extended shutdown would allow Tesla to more efficiently prepare the production lines to increase production of the new SUV (sport utility vehicle) model, the report said.
A portion of the affected Model Y production lines would be shut down from January 22 to February 14, according to Bloomberg.
Another area of the Shanghai factory, which produces the Model 3 electric sedan, would be closed from January 26 to February 3, they added.
Tesla launched the revamped five-seat Model Y in China on January 10, with deliveries beginning on February 26.
The company was initially offering two variants it calls the "Launch Series" to give buyers extra benefits, and their sales close on February 28.
Tesla began selling the regular version of the revised Model Y in China on March 1, at the same prices as the Launch Series.
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