Car manufacturer Tesla delivered significantly more cars in China in May compared to a month earlier. The automaker recovered from the dip in deliveries in April, when car production was temporarily suspended due to maintenance at the Chinese factory.
In May, Tesla delivered nearly 33,500 new cars from cars manufactured in China. A month earlier, nearly 25,900 cars were involved, the Chinese industry association PCA reported. The wholesale sales do not automatically mean that an end customer has already been found for all delivered Teslas.
Tesla’s sales to consumers are disappointing, especially in China. There are concerns about the safety of cars in the market. Since the Shanghai auto show in April, Tesla has also struggled with negative publicity.
During the important auto show, a woman climbed onto the roof of a Tesla in protest. The woman has been campaigning against the company for some time because she and her family almost died because of faltering brakes. Regulators have previously held Tesla to account for battery fires and abnormal accelerations of the vehicles.
China, the world’s largest auto market, accounts for 30 percent of Tesla’s sales. Only in the US does Tesla sell more cars. Tech website The Information previously said customer orders dropped by nearly half in May from April. Tesla representatives declined to comment on the report.
According to the PCA, Tesla’s sales will hardly be affected by the short-term negative impact. Sales of the Model Y are expected to outpace those of the Model 3. Especially in China, SUVs are more popular than sedans.