Electric vehicle leader Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) reported record overall deliveries in the third quarter, before seeing lower figures for the months in the fourth quarter.
A new report for wholesale vehicles in China for the month of December offers good — and bad news — for investors.
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Tesla’s Rebound In December
After reporting 86,700 wholesale vehicles for the month of November in China, a new report shows Tesla’s wholesale figure grew in the month of December.
New data shared by Teslarati shows Tesla’s wholesale figure for the month of December was 97,171 vehicles.
The data, which was reported by CNEVPost, showed that wholesale vehicles in China were up 3.6% year-over-year and up 12.1% from the month of November.
The 97,171 vehicle figure also marked the second-best month for China ever, trailing only the 100,291 vehicles in November 2022.
The strong December could indicate a rebound for demand in China or nearby regions, with a second straight month of year-over-year gains in the country. The wholesale figure includes both retail units sold in China and units exported to other countries.
In November, the total was split as 73,145 retail units and 13,555 export units.
Tesla’s 2025 Decline
While the December figure could indicate strong demand in China and nearby regions, it could be the result of several factors and comes with increased competition and competitors also seeing increased growth.
The December figure also closes out the year with a not good enough total for full-year sales growth. Total wholesale sales were 851,732 units for the full year, which was down 7.1%.
Tesla’s domestic sales in China were 531,855 units through December. With a 2024 total of 657,105 now out of reach with the December wholesale figure, Tesla will have its first sales decline for the Chinese market in company history.
The report said this could be due to the changeover at the Shanghai Gigafactory for the new Model Y and due to increased competition in the region.
With 2025 now behind Tesla, the year will go down as one that saw ups and downs with weakened demand in some regions due to competition and opinions on CEO Elon Musk, while the third quarter saw record deliveries, helped by demand from the expiration of the federal EV tax credit.
While vehicle deliveries could be less impactful on Tesla’s financials and stock price going forward as investors focus on growth items like robotaxis and robotics, vehicles remain an important part of the storyline and are important for the company’s overall financial picture.
Photo: Shutterstock
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