Tesla China Sales Fall 66% to 8,817 Cars. The “10% Growth” Is Just Exports

Tesla sold only 8,817 cars to Chinese buyers in October, down 66% from a year ago and its worst month in China since July 2022, according to CPCA data. Giga Shanghai still shipped 67,829 cars, but 59,012 of them, a record 87%, went abroad.

In this article: “Up 10%” is propaganda for investors · The Chinese are smart · Put a Tesla next to a Xiaomi · “Come here, we’ll even pay you” · Only two models: the truth under Musk’s words · My guess for November · FAQ

“Up 10%” is propaganda for investors

Look how nicely it works. The same numbers, two completely different headlines. Tesla fan sites first wrote that Tesla China grew 10% and “the momentum continues”. To me, that is pure propaganda. They wave it in front of investors to show everything is under control, so the poor guys don’t run away from a sinking ship. I don’t believe it. Tesla doesn’t even publish its China sales itself. The 8,817 is an estimate from the industry association, the factory output minus exports. So even the drop we know about is only what we managed to calculate.

And I will say it again: Tesla is not a car company anymore. It’s a way to get money out of all of us for nothing. Sometimes it sells a bit cheaper, and then it tells you: now pay for FSD every month, and maybe in seven years, maybe later, it will be allowed in your area, and you’ll be among the first. Remember how Tesla took FSD money in Korea for three years. I don’t believe anything connected to Elon Musk and Tesla anymore. I have truly, completely stopped believing.

The Chinese are smart

One thing I have to say: the Chinese are smart. At least they found a way to get rid of cars that nobody wants at home. Send them abroad. Shanghai now exports more cars than it sells in China, and part of the rush is timed before China cuts its export tax rebate on EVs from 13% to 9% in April 2027. So even the hiding place gets more expensive soon.

Put a Tesla next to a Xiaomi

Have you seen Xiaomi’s cars? The Xiaomi SU7 and YU7 really are innovative, and they look luxurious. I’m not surprised Xiaomi sold almost six times more in one month than Tesla did in China: more than 50,000 cars against 8,817. Put a Tesla next to a Xiaomi and you will surely say the Tesla is some kind of fiasco. Leapmotor delivered 106,127. Tesla offers the same two cars, refreshed but not new.

Tesla is exactly one of those companies that started years ago, brought something new, and then stopped moving forward. I said it will fall from Olympus, and now it’s coming quite soon. These are no longer the cars people wait for, not after so many scandals and so much deception around Tesla. And don’t talk to me about quality. In my view, a Tesla is not much after one year either.

“Come here, we’ll even pay you”

Five years at zero interest. Half the down payment. To me, it looks like this: come here, we’ll even pay you, just buy our cars. And even that didn’t help. I applaud the Chinese market. It’s much smarter than the others. I have said it many times: a company that hides everything and behaves arrogantly toward its customers will sooner or later pay for it. I see the consequences slowly arriving, and I’m glad. I don’t even want to deny it. I don’t care what anyone says or writes, I want nothing from a man like Elon Musk.

Only two models: the truth under Musk’s words

Musk wrote on X that Tesla has only so many “smart, dedicated people” and can’t keep the Cybertruck going next to the Cybercab. After the Model S and the Model X, the Cybertruck goes too, and by the second half of 2027 only the Model 3 and the Model Y are left. In my opinion, the truth hides under his words, the ones he writes so nicely on X when it suits him. What he really wanted to tell us is: I don’t want to invest in cars nobody wants, I want certainty. That’s why there will be two models and nothing more.

My guess for November

After a 66% drop, I don’t expect real growth. Maybe a huge discount will help a bit, maybe they will push even more cars abroad. But one thing is clear. The market in China isn’t dead, it fell only about 10%. People are buying cars, just from somebody else. Chinese electric cars are more innovative and prettier, and Tesla has fallen far behind them. It’s the same factory of promises I wrote about after Q3.

Also on Evolt News: Porsche’s CEO Mocked Tesla’s Flying Roadster. Finally Someone From the Industry Said It · Tesla Kills the Cybertruck and Raises Its Price. I Called It Two Weeks Ago. · Tesla Q3 2026 Earnings: Profit Down 43%. Tesla Is Now a Factory of Promises · Tesla Took FSD Money in Korea for Three Years. And the Court Blamed Korea?

Featured image: Tesla Gigafactory Shanghai, China News Service / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0).

This article is opinion.

Tesla China sales: FAQ

How many cars did Tesla sell in China in October 2026?

About 8,817 to Chinese buyers, according to CPCA data (wholesale minus exports). That is down 66% year over year.

Then why do some headlines say Tesla China grew 10%?

Wholesale, which includes exports, rose 10.3% to 67,829 cars. 59,012 of them were exported.

Does Tesla publish its China sales?

No. The domestic figure is an estimate based on CPCA wholesale and export data.

How did China’s EV market do in October?

NEV retail sales fell about 10% to 1.148 million, according to CPCA.

How did Chinese rivals do?

Xiaomi delivered more than 50,000 cars, Leapmotor 106,127 and BYD 490,168 (including exports).

Which Tesla models will be left?

From the second half of 2027, only the Model 3 and Model Y (including the Model Y L), after the Model S, Model X and Cybertruck.

Sources: CPCA, CnEVPost, Electrek, Drive Tesla Canada, Elon Musk on X.

Our Take

Chinese buyers are still buying electric cars, just not Teslas. The 10% “growth” is exports, and the market Giga Shanghai was built for is walking away.

Zero interest and half down payments didn’t stop it. Without a truly new car, discounts only buy time.