Tesla's December Surge: China's EV Market Roars Back with Second-Best Month Ever!

TL;DR: Tesla China just had a December to remember! They shipped out 97,171 vehicles wholesale, marking their second-best month ever. This late-year surge shows that Tesla's still got the juice in the world's most competitive EV market, even if their full-year numbers dipped a bit.

Meta: Tesla China reported its second-best wholesale month ever in December, with 97,171 vehicles sold.

Alright, folks, when it comes to the EV market, China is like the wild, wild West – everybody's fighting for a piece of that pie! And Tesla, well, they just dropped some news that shows they're still very much in the game, and they ain't playin' small! After a year that saw a bit of a dip in deliveries, Tesla China roared back in December, posting its second-highest monthly wholesale figures ever! That's right, 97,171 vehicles rolled out, just shy of their November 2022 record. Talk about finishing the year with a bang, like a firework show on the Fourth of July!

According to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), this December surge represents a nice 3.63% increase from the same month last year and a healthy 12.08% jump from November's figures. It's the second consecutive month of year-over-year growth, which is exactly the kind of momentum you want to see heading into a new year. While we don't have the full breakdown of domestic sales versus exports just yet, it's clear that the Model 3 and Model Y are still resonating with customers, even in a market more crowded than a Saturday night movie premiere.

The Year-End Hustle

Now, why this late-year explosion? Well, it seems Tesla pulled a classic move, pushing deliveries forward to let buyers take advantage of more favorable purchase tax policies before the calendar flipped. It's a smart strategy to goose those monthly numbers, especially when competition is tighter than my old leather jacket. Despite the strong December finish, Tesla China's full-year wholesale sales for 2025 actually saw a decline, dropping 7.08% year-over-year to 851,732 units. That could be down to a mix of intense local competition and Gigafactory Shanghai doing a little Model Y makeover earlier in the year.

But let's not forget the bigger picture: Gigafactory Shanghai is a beast! It's Tesla's largest factory by volume and their main export hub, churning out Model 3 sedans and Model Y crossovers for both the local Chinese market and the rest of the world. Its efficiency is legendary, proving that Tesla can still produce and deliver at an incredible pace when the demand is there.

What’s Next

Tesla's December performance in China is a testament to its operational agility and brand strength in a fiercely competitive market. While the full-year figures show the challenges, this strong finish provides crucial momentum for 2026. The key will be how Tesla navigates continued competition and evolving market dynamics to sustain this sales energy. So, keep your eyes on China, because what happens there often sets the tone for the rest of the EV world. And that, my friends, is the straight truth. Booyah!