Tesla China shipments surge in March as Shanghai plant ramps up

Tesla Inc.’s shipments in China jumped last month after the company ramped up production at the Shanghai plant that was temporarily idled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Wholesale shipments climbed to 10,160 units in China last month, Cui Dongshu, secretary general of the China Passenger Car Association, said in an online briefing on Thursday about the country’s overall industry figures. That is more than double February’s numbers. China’s total wholesale deliveries of electric cars were about 47,000 last month, Cui said.

The figures suggest Tesla has been gaining traction at the new Shanghai facility -- its first outside the U.S. Still, it’s unclear how many of those vehicles were sold through to customers because the wholesale figures broadly reflect the number of cars leaving the Shanghai plant.

Investors will get a better sense of Tesla’s actual sales in China later this month when registration figures come out. In February, Tesla registrations plunged 35% from January to 2,314 units, according to state-backed China Automotive Information Net, which gathers industry data based on insurance purchases.

A Tesla representative declined to comment on the company’s monthly figures in China.