Tesla’s October numbers tell two very different stories. In China, Tesla’s home-market sales fell to their lowest level in more than four years. At the same time, exports from its Shanghai factory hit a record share of output, and registrations in several European countries jumped. For Canadians, the Shanghai side of the story matters more than it might seem, because that factory has supplied Model 3s for Canada.
China: the weakest month since 2022
According to CarNewsChina, which compiled China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data, Tesla sold 8,817 cars in China in October, down 66.1% from a year earlier. That was its lowest monthly figure since July 2022, when it sold 8,461, and the first month since then below 10,000. It was also Tesla’s fifth straight month of year-over-year declines in China.
The drop from September was steep. Tesla sold 64,837 cars in China in September, so domestic sales fell 86.4% month over month. October is the first month of a quarter, which is often slower for Tesla, but this was still its worst October since CarNewsChina began tracking Tesla in 2020.
To support demand, Tesla introduced a five-year zero-interest financing offer on October 30 for select Model 3 and Model Y versions in China, cutting the minimum down payment from 79,900 yuan to 39,900 yuan for orders placed through November 30.
Shanghai exports: a record share
The other half of the picture is much stronger. Tesla exported 59,012 cars from Shanghai in October, up 66.3% year over year, CarNewsChina reported. Exports made up 87% of Tesla China’s wholesale sales, the highest share in the plant’s history. The previous record was 76% in October 2022.
Combined, Tesla China’s wholesale figure, which includes domestic sales and exports, was 67,829 units, up 10.3% from a year earlier. Reuters noted it was the 12th straight month of annual growth for Shanghai-built sales, though the total was down 28.9% from September. Reuters also listed Canada among the destinations for Shanghai exports, alongside Europe and Asia Pacific.
Year to date, CarNewsChina says Tesla sold about 390,000 cars in China through October (down 15%), while exports reached 421,000 (up 101%), for total Shanghai wholesale sales of 811,000 (up 21.4%).
Europe: big gains from a low base
In Europe, Reuters reported that Tesla registrations rose sharply in several markets in October. They were up 248% in Sweden, 131% in Norway, 34% in Denmark, 271% in Spain, 186% in Portugal and 94% in Italy. Norway had Tesla’s best October on record there, and Tesla was the country’s top-selling brand with a 9.8% market share.
There are important caveats. Reuters said the rebound was helped by easier comparisons with a weak October 2025, along with higher fuel prices and incentives. Gains were uneven, too: Eletric-vehicles.com reported that Tesla’s Dutch registrations fell about 48%, and France rose 35% to 2,410 cars. Chinese brands also kept growing, taking a record 22.5% of new car registrations in Norway in October.
What it means for Canadian owners and buyers
For Canadian shoppers, the key point is the Shanghai factory. It has been the source of Model 3s sold in Canada, and right now those cars are limited by Ottawa’s import quota for China-built EVs. As we reported, Tesla paused Model 3 Premium orders in October, with the configurator saying ordering would resume if more quota is issued, expected in March 2027. Shanghai clearly has the capacity to export more cars. What’s holding back Canadian supply is policy, not production.
The soft Chinese market is also worth watching, though Tesla hasn’t announced any Canadian price changes tied to these numbers. China’s own policy changes matter too; we covered how China’s EV export tax rebate cut could affect cars bound for Canada.
Closer to home, Tesla’s third-quarter update said Canada was one of several markets where it set a record for quarterly deliveries, though it didn’t give a number. You can read our Q3 earnings coverage for the full results. With the fourth quarter under way and the federal EV rebate set to drop on January 1, 2027, Canadian demand in November and December will be worth watching.
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Sources
- CarNewsChina: Tesla’s China sales fall to 8,800 in October, the lowest since July 2022, as exports surge
- Reuters (via Investing.com): Tesla’s China-made EV sales rise 10.3% y/y in October
- Reuters (via StreetInsider): Tesla’s monthly registrations rise across Europe as Chinese rivals gain ground
- Eletric-vehicles.com: Tesla registrations jump 69% in seven European markets in October
- TeslaNorth: 6 things Tesla’s Q3 deck revealed beyond the earnings