According to China’s Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data, the Tesla Model Y maintained its leadership among fully electric vehicles across all segments in the country last month.
In September, Tesla sold 59,900 Model Y units in the world’s largest EV market.
The high registration figures were partially driven by the arrival of a new three row variant to the Chinese market, the Model Y L.
However, since CPCA does not differentiate between the different variants, the exact sales figures for each version in September are unknown.
According to data shared on X by Tesla data tracker ‘piloly,’ weekly sales of the Model Y L in China increased steadily through September.
In the final full week of the month, registrations reached around 4,000 units, making up about 20% of Tesla’s sales in the country.
However, as the new quarter began and China entered its Golden Week holiday in the first week of October, registrations dropped to 1,590 units between September 29 and October 5.
The standard Model Y is priced from 263,500 yuan ($37,000), while the six-seat version starts at 339,900 yuan ($47,600).
Last month, Tesla had already sold out its Model Y L for October.
From September 10 on, new orders placed for the model are expected to be delivered in November.
Other SUVs in the ranking include the BYD Seal 06, which is not only cheaper but also offered in a hybrid version, helping it achieve sales of 56,900 units.
The mid-size Seal 06 EV launched in China in June with a starting price of 109,800 yuan (about $15,400), less than half the price of the cheapest Model Y trim.
In July, several brands introduced new SUVs in China, including the Xiaomi YU7, XPeng G7, Li Auto i8, and Onvo L90.
By then, BYD added a new entry-level trim to its Yuan Up crossover, which was originally launched a year ago.
This new model now starts at 74,800 yuan ($10,500) and sold 31,800 units in China, placing ninth in the overall vehicle ranking.
Smaller, more affordable vehicles — such as the Wuling Hongguang Mini EV, Geely’s Geome Xingyuan, and the BYD Seagull — also rank among the top sellers.
However, even these models lag behind Tesla’s Model Y in sales. The Model 3 sedan was also the tenth best-selling vehicle in China.
The Xiaomi YU7, which directly aimed to compete with the US brand’s SUV, placed 17th, with 22,000 units registered in September.
The model set an industry record with over 200,000 orders within the first three minutes of its launch.
However, the company is still ramping up production for both the SUV and its debut model SU7, for which delivery waiting times can reach up to 52 weeks (a full year).
Tesla sold 71,525 vehicles in China in September, its second-highest monthly total in 2025.
Earlier this week, Tesla’s VP for China Grace Tao said that the company has begun an “intensive production ramp-up” at the Shanghai plant to ensure customers “can receive their cars as soon as possible.”
After launching in the US and Europe, Tesla is also reportedly developing two simplified versions of its Model Y and Model 3 vehicles in China.
According to 36Kr, production of the two new models is planned to begin around the middle of next year or later.
The arrival of the new, cheaper variants to the Chinese market would increase pressure on the mass market models of BYD, Geely and other domestic brands.
