Tesla staged a strong comeback in China, claiming the title of the top-selling electric vehicle in May 2025, according to insurance registration data from China EV DataTracker, as reported by Car News China. The Elon Musk-led company sold 24,770 Model Y units, a significant achievement amid its ongoing sales decline in Europe over the past few months.
Tesla Model Y: YoY decline by 38%
Model Y sold 24,770 units, which may be a silver lining for Tesla as it became the number one EV maker in China, but in reality, the Model Y saw a decline of 38.05% according to media company Yiche from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). In May 2024, the Model Y sold 39,985 units. Month-on-month wise, Tesla has a reason to cheer as it saw an increase of 23.95% as it registered 19,984 units sold in April 2025. The Model Y’s arch-rival BYD Song Plus also known as Seal U in the global market took the runner-up spot with 24,240 units.
According to a report by CnEVPos, the Model Y is 64.19% of Tesla’s total retail sales of 38,588 units in China in May. Since January, Tesla has had a turbulent time as the Model Y recorded 126,643 retail sales in China in first five months, which was a decline of 24.03% year-on-year. It accounts for 62.72% of Tesla’s total retail sales of 201,926 units in the same period.
Tesla Model Y spied in India
With Tesla gearing up to make its official debut in the Indian market, its best-selling SUV, the Model Y was caught testing in India. The Model Y is available in two versions — the rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive. According to Tesla, the RWD version has a driving range of 574 km and does 0 – 100 km in 5.4 seconds. With a fast charger, it can juice up 292 km in 15 minutes.
The dual motor-powered Model Y AWD has a driving range of 526 km and accelerates from 0 -100 km in 4.6 seconds. With a fast charger, it offers a range of 270 km in just 15 minutes of charge. Both the Model Y versions have a top speed of 201 kmph.