(Yicai Global) Aug. 12 -- Tesla’s sales in China of locally electric vehicles fell 69 percent last month from June, even as shipments increased almost five times.

Tesla sold 8,621 cars produced at its Shanghai Gigafactory in July, compared with 28,138 the month before, according to data the China Passenger Car Association released yesterday. Shipments surged 385 percent to 24,347, up from 5,017 a month earlier.

“Tesla’s low sales volume in China in July is quite normal,” Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the CPCA, told Yicai Global.

“Tesla’s system to calculate sales focuses on guaranteeing the maximum quarterly sales volume,” he said. “For instance, it strives to secure sales volume in overseas markets in the first month of each quarter, as the vehicles will be sold in the European market only a month after being exported.”

Tesla ranked first for exports of new energy vehicle last month, followed by SAIC at 4,407, BYD at 781 and Chery Automobile at 120.

At about 50,000 cars, Tesla’s exports accounted for nearly 30 percent of China’s overall NEV exports in the first half, Cui said. The automaker’s exports should tally 100,000 this year, he added.

In the seven months ended July 31, China’s NEV sales more than doubled from a year earlier to 1.34 million. Tesla only secured the top sales spot in May based on the CPCA data. SAIC-GM-Wuling was No. 1 from January to April, while BYD took the lead in the last two months.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Futura Costaglione