Model 3 vehicles manufactured by Tesla in China are seen during a delivery event at its factory in Shanghai, China, on January 7, 2020.
Aly Song | Reuters
BEIJING – Tesla’s sales in China more than doubled last year amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report released on Monday.
Sales of the electric car maker in China, of $ 6.66 billion last year, accounted for about a fifth, or 21% of the total of $ 31.54 billion.
In 2019, Tesla’s sales in China reached $ 2.98 billion, just 12% of the total $ 24.58 billion.
The United States continued to be Tesla’s largest market, with sales growing 20% last year to $ 15.21 billion and accounting for almost half of total sales.
Tesla began increasing production last year at its Shanghai plant and selling cars made in China to the local market.
The company’s Model 3 was the best-selling electric car in the country in 2020, according to the China Passenger Car Association. The automaker has also started delivering a new model, a Y model made in China, to local customers this year.
However, Tesla faces competition in the local market for Chinese electric car start-ups like Nio and Xpeng, while regulatory scrutiny has increased.
On Monday, China’s State Market Regulatory Administration said on its website that it and four other government departments recently met with Tesla’s local subsidiaries because of an increase in consumer reports of vehicle problems.
Among several incidents that have caught the attention of Chinese social media in recent weeks, a model 3 exploded in a Shanghai parking lot in January. Last week, Chinese officials said Tesla needed to recall more than 36,000 cars due to a touch screen failure.