Tesla Inc.’s China shipments in January increased 9% from a year earlier, bucking the rocky start that many local electric vehicle makers had in 2026, including top rival BYD Co., which saw sales slip by almost a third.

Tesla entered 2026 in China at a time when the electric vehicle market was clearly under pressure. Sales slowed across the industry, government incentives weakened, and buyers became more cautious with their spending.

The figure represents both domestic sales in China and exports by Tesla. While the figure showcases a 9.32% YoY growth in Tesla sales from last January, sales are still down almost 28.9% from last month, the influencer said in his post.

According to the latest industry data, BYD sold approximately 2.26 million battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) in 2025, surpassing Tesla’s deliveries of 1.63 million EVs over the same period. This marks the first time BYD has finished a full year ahead of Tesla in global BEV sales, beating its U.S. rival by more than 600,000 units.

For the first time since Tesla launched the Model 3 in China in 2019, another automaker has outsold it in the premium electric sedan segment.

BEIJING, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Tesla sold 69,129 China-made electric vehicles in January, up 9.3% from a year-ago period, extending gains for a third consecutive month even as the electric vehicle maker battles shrinking market share in both China and Europe.

Shares of Chinese solar panel makers surged after a team of staff sent by Elon Musk had reportedly visited several photovoltaic suppliers in China.

China bans electronic door handles starting 2027, requiring mechanical releases after safety incidents left passengers trapped inside vehicles.