Tesla sold 32,968 Chinese-made vehicles in July, local sales plunged in m / m

BEIJING, Aug. 10 (Reuters) – U.S. electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) sold 32,968 Chinese-made vehicles in July, including 24,347 for export, the China Passenger Car Association said on Tuesday ( CPCA).

Local sales of Chinese-made vehicles fell 69% to 8,621 cars from 28,138 in June. Tesla’s sales in the first month of each quarter are typically lower than the next two months.

The company, which manufactures Model 3 sedans and Model Y sport utility vehicles in Shanghai, sold 33,155 China-made vehicles in June.

Last month, Tesla introduced a cheaper version of the Model Y in China, where it has come under increased scrutiny from regulators and the public and growing competition from local rivals. It also lowered the starting price for Model 3 sedans.

Chinese company BYD sold 50,387 electric vehicles last month, while Chinese joint venture General Motors Co (GM.N) with SAIC Motor (600104.SS) delivered 27,347 units.

The CPCA also said China sold 1.52 million passenger cars in July, down 6.4% from the previous year.

Reporting by Yilei Sun and Brenda Goh Editing by Louise Heavens and Mark Potter

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