Tesla China August deliveries: Model Y down 26% for third straight month

• Model Y deliveries in China totaled 29,260, down 25.76% year-on-year, with the decline deepening for a third consecutive month.
• Model 3 deliveries rose 17.18% year-on-year to 20,787, the highest this year, but failed to offset the drop in Model Y deliveries.

Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) saw diverging delivery trends in China in August, with Model Y posting a third consecutive year-on-year decline while Model 3 returned to growth.

Model Y deliveries in China totaled 29,260 last month, down 25.76% year-on-year despite a 16.30% increase from July, according to China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data compiled by CnEVPost.

The SUV's year-on-year decline deepened from 13.81% in June and 18.23% in July. It also recorded its weakest August deliveries since 2021.

Model Y accounted for 58.47% of Tesla's China deliveries during the month, down from 68.96% a year earlier and the lowest share since February 2025.

By contrast, Model 3 deliveries rose 17.18% year-on-year to 20,787 in August, ending 2 consecutive months of annual declines.

The sedan's deliveries reached their highest level this year, surging 894.12% from July's 2,091 units and accounting for 41.53% of Tesla's monthly China deliveries.

However, the Model 3 rebound was insufficient to offset the Model Y decline. Deliveries of the former rose by 3,048 from a year earlier, while those of the latter fell by 10,153.

Tesla delivered a total of 50,047 vehicles in China in August, down 12.43% year-on-year for a third consecutive monthly decline, though up 83.67% from July.

Model Y remained Tesla's mainstay in China on a cumulative basis. Deliveries totaled 226,931 in the first 8 months, down 6.10% year-on-year and accounting for 71.76% of its China deliveries.

Model 3 deliveries over the same period fell 25.26% to 89,320. Despite its August rebound, the sedan accounted for about 67% of Tesla's year-to-date decline in China deliveries.

Tesla's total China deliveries fell 12.44% year-on-year to 316,251 in the first 8 months.

Exports continued to support the Shanghai factory's overall performance. Model Y exports rose 35.75% year-on-year to 26,437 in August, while Model 3 exports increased 47.48% to 9,682.

Including exports, Model Y wholesale sales totaled 55,697 in August, down 5.42% year-on-year for the first decline this year. Model 3 wholesale sales rose 25.37% to 30,469.

Tesla's Shanghai factory exported a total of 36,119 vehicles in August, up 38.71% year-on-year, helping lift total monthly wholesale sales by 3.57% to 86,166.

The factory's exports reached 331,443 in the first 8 months, up 114.70% year-on-year and exceeding Tesla's China deliveries over the same period.

With domestic deliveries under pressure, Tesla introduced limited-time cash incentives on September 7 to boost deliveries of inventory vehicles before the end of the third quarter.

Customers in China who purchase and take delivery of an inventory Model Y by September 30 can receive a 10,000 yuan ($1,480) reduction in their final payment. Inventory Model 3 vehicles qualify for a 5,000 yuan reduction.

Other offers include paint options, insurance subsidies and financing plans for selected variants, depending on the model, configuration and order terms.