Tesla Model Y price cuts in China send stock down

Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk gets in a Tesla car as he leaves a hotel in Beijing, China May 31, 2023.

Tingshu Wang | Reuters

Tesla has once again cut prices in mainland China, a competitive move that sent shares sliding 3% in Monday morning trading.

The automaker announced the moves in a Weibo post late Sunday evening. Two Chinese versions of Tesla’s Model Y crossover, priced at 299,000 and 349,000 yuan, have been discounted by 14,000 yuan, or around $2,000.

The Model 3 will also have a “limited-time insurance subsidy” of 8,000 yuan, or around $1,100 U.S dollars. The insurance subsidy will last until September 2023, according to Tesla’s post.

A ferocious price war between Tesla and domestic Chinese automakers like BYD, Nio and Xpeng ate into Tesla’s margins in the second quarter of 2023. Tesla has lost ground to domestic competitors, even as it ramps up production in its Shanghai Gigafactory.

Tesla cut prices multiple times through out 2022 and 2023, in an effort to clear out inventory and grow deliveries, the closest approximation the company offers to sales.

CNBC’s Hakyung Kim contributed to this report.

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