Electric vehicle maker Tesla’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) sales in China declined 27% in April from March.
Tesla sold 25,845 made-in-China vehicles last month, down 27% from 35,478 in March, according to figures from the China Passenger Car Association. The sales decline came amid a 12% month-over-month drop in April for new energy passenger cars in China, according to the association. The category includes pure-electric and hybrid cars.
Guangdong-based BYD, which is backed by U.S. billionaire Warren Buffett, was close behind Tesla in April. The passenger car association said BYD sold 25,450 new energy vehicles in April, up 6.5% from 23,906 in March.
Tesla does not disclose monthly deliveries by country. The company said it delivered 184,800 cars worldwide during the first quarter of this year.
Publicly disclosed figures indicate China is becoming a more important market for Tesla. The company generated $3 billion U.S. in sales in the country during the first quarter, accounting for 29% of its global sales. That’s up from up from 21% for all of 2020.
Meanwhile, negative press has increased for Tesla in China. In the last few months, media reports of Tesla brake failures, crashes and explosions have increased and drawn scrutiny from regulators. Tesla recently halted plans to buy land and expand its Shanghai manufacturing plant.
Tesla shares are down about 12% year-to-date at $617.20 U.S.
