Tesla triples deliveries of China-made cars after upgrade in Shanghai plant

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SHANGHAI, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O) sold 76,965 Chinese-made vehicles in August, nearly triple its sales from a month ago, as it quickened deliveries after ramping up output at its Shanghai plant.

The U.S. carmaker exported 42,463 Model 3s and Model Ys from China last month, the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) said. In July, it sold 28,217 vehicles and exported 19,756.

After a scheduled upgrade disrupted most production in July, Tesla ramped up output at the Shanghai plant in August, defying heatwaves and COVID curbs that hit its suppliers in the southwest region.

Battery maker CATL’s Yibin plant, which mainly supplies battery cells to Tesla Shanghai, had to shut part of its operations due to local power restriction policies in mid-August.

The output ramp-up enabled Tesla to accelerate deliveries of the Model 3 and Model Y electric cars to customers especially in China, where it faces more competition from local rivals.

It slashed delivery waiting time for its two best-selling models to a maximum of 14 weeks in China, while buyers of the rear-wheel drive Model Y can pick up the SUV in a month after placing the order, according to Tesla’s Chinese website.

China’s overall passenger car sales in August jumped 28.4% from a year earlier to 1.9 million, the CPCA said.