Tesla sold 69,129 China-made EVs in January, up 9.3% from last year.

Tesla posted a year on year rise in China made electric vehicle deliveries in January, even as the wider market slowed down hard.

The company delivered 69,129 vehicles from its Shanghai factory during the month. That was up from 63,238 units in January last year. The figures landed while many rivals were losing ground and cutting expectations.

The January total placed Tesla in third place among electric vehicle sellers in China. BYD stayed far ahead with 205,518 deliveries. Geely followed with 124,252 units.

The data came from the China Passenger Car Association, released on Wednesday. The rankings showed strong competition, but they did not signal a real demand recovery inside China.

Tesla deliveries rise while real demand stays weak

The January delivery increase did not point to stronger buying appetite inside China. The numbers cover all vehicles shipped from the Shanghai plant.

That factory builds the Model 3 and Model Y. These cars serve buyers in China and overseas markets like Europe and the Asia Pacific region. Exports remain a large part of the total.

New vehicle registrations offered a mixed picture. Tesla registrations rose slightly in Europe during January. The data came from Reuters tracking regional filings.

China, however, showed little sign of fresh demand momentum. The country remains the world’s largest electric vehicle market, but buyers have pulled back as prices stay high and incentives fade.

Competition remains intense. Local brands offer cheaper models across nearly every category. Tesla also faced pressure from its own past performance.

Separate CPCA data showed that total China made sales for the company fell 4.8 percent in 2025. Only one other manufacturer in Beijing reported an annual decline during that period.

Cost pressure and price cuts reshape the EV fight

Investor nerves spread fast across the sector. BYD shares listed in Hong Kong dropped again this week after weak sales data. The decline extended a selloff that erased more than 60 billion dollars in market value since May. Other electric vehicle stocks followed lower as worries spread across the market.

Moreover, lithium prices for batteries more than doubled over the past three months. Copper and aluminum prices also climbed. Shortages of memory chips pushed up the cost of smart vehicle parts.

Bernstein analysts estimate that added costs could reach 1,000 dollars per vehicle for some premium models, and mass market brands like Xpeng, Li Auto, and Nio will face higher risk due to thinner margins. BYD holds an edge thanks to its in house supply chain, but even that advantage has limits, according to these guys.

Tesla responded with pricing tools rather than new models. The company introduced aggressive financing offers on its Chinese website. Buyers can access five year loans at zero percent interest or seven year loans at ultra low rates for orders placed before February 28. The goal is simple. Keep volumes steady in a price sensitive market.

Pricing gaps remain wide. A base Model 3 sells for about 235,500 yuan, or roughly 33,943 dollars. BYD’s Seal starts near 79,800 yuan. That gap explains why cheaper brands continue to gain attention.

Short sellers continue to benefit. Bearish positions on electric vehicle stocks within the Hang Seng Tech Index climbed sharply since November, based on S3 Partners data. The trend diverged from the broader Hang Seng index.

Trade developments offer limited relief. Improving ties with Canada and the European Union support exports. Automakers also push into AI, robotaxis, and advanced automation. For now, Tesla stays competitive by managing costs and pricing while the market sorts itself out.

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