How GM's tiny EV is taking Tesla for a ride in China

Billionaire Elon Musk’s Tesla Inc, which has been posting record deliveries and earnings for several quarters despite the pandemic outbreak, is facing extremely tough competition in the Chinese market. The EV-only company is wrestling against the Chinese automakers — SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile (SGMW) and BYD Auto Co.

SGMW, a joint venture between SAIC Motor, General Motors, and Liuzhou Wuling Motors, has managed to become the country’s top EV seller due to its Wuling - Hong Guang MINI EV, which despite new competition in its segment has become the best-selling electric vehicle in China.

According to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA)'s data, SGMW’s Wuling Hong Guang MINI EV managed to push out 94,778 vehicles in the country during the first quarter of 2022 as against’s Tesla Model Y, the company’s best-selling car in China, which managed to sell only 74,681 units in the same period.

In addition to this, China’s homegrown automaker BYD Auto’s compact sedan ‘Qin’ has also managed to surpass Tesla’s Model Y sales and has delivered over 75,000 units of its compact sedan Qin (battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) combined).

The CPCA report also revealed that Wuling - Hong Guang MINI EV’s sales figures were up 30.7% year-over-year. It should also be noted that CPCA only reports wholesale shipments, not registrations or deliveries.

SGMW has cumulatively sold over 600,000 units of its MINI EV in China since June 2020, making it a big success for the SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture.

Even in February, before China was hit by the current COVID-19 wave, top-selling models in the country were — Wuling Hong Guang MINI EV (26,116), BYD Song Pro/Plus PHEV (19,057), Tesla Model Y (18,593), BYD Qin Plus PHEV (14,243) and the latest BYD Tang PHEV (10,026).

Currently, BYD has five models among the top 10 selling car models in China, while SGMW and Tesla both have only one — Wuling - Hong Guang MINI EV and Model Y, respectively. Interestingly. There are only two foreign brands in the top 20 list, including Tesla Model Y in third place and Volkswagen ID.4 in the eighteenth position.