Post Lockdown In Shanghai, Tesla Production In China Increases 212 Percent

Tesla production in China returns to normal after lockdown. (photo; doc. pixabay)

JAKARTA - The US electric vehicle manufacturer, Tesla Inc, sold 32,165 vehicles made in China last May. According to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), Thursday, June 9, this number includes 22,340 for exports.

That's a huge number compared to only 1,152 vehicles sold and none exported in April. Tesla's factory suspended work for 22 days from late March to comply with a citywide lockdown in Shanghai due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The factory, which produces the Model 3 and Model Y, reopened on April 19 and resumed exports on May 11 but has struggled to return production to pre-lockdown levels.

Tesla's Shanghai factory alone produced 33,544 vehicles in May, a 212% increase from April, the association added.

Meanwhile, BYD China delivered 114,183 cars to customers in May. Electric vehicle maker Li Auto also shipped 11,496 and Xpeng Inc produced 10,125.

The CPCA also said passenger car sales in China in May had reached 1.37 million, down 17.3% from a year earlier. They are now targeting a number of production increases in order to achieve the targets outlined.

"June sales should be 10% to 20% higher than the previous year," CPCA secretary general Cui Dongshu told media including Reuters. Demand from previous months, suppressed by the lockdown due to the pandemic which has now subsided. "The policy will support June sales," Cui said.

The world's largest auto market is recovering from its worst monthly decline since March 2020 after China's efforts to contain the COVID-19 outbreak in several cities that has disrupted supply chains and dented demand.