Tesla sales are rising in China thanks to incentives put in place by the automaker on top of state incentives going away by the end of the year.

Is enough to save Tesla’s quarter and its whole year?

Tesla aims to deliver a record number of more than 515,000 vehicles in Q4 in order for its sales not to be down for the whole year. That’s ~30,000 more vehicles than Tesla’s last record quarter, which was Q4 2023.

China is Tesla’s most important market and the world’s most important EV market.

In many ways, the Chinese can make or break Tesla’s record delivery goal for the quarter.

The latest insurance data is in for November, and it points to Tesla delivering just short of 70,000 vehicles – up significantly year-over-year (via Car News China):

However, while Tesla’s domestic sales are up in the Chinese market, Tesla’s wholesale from China (all cars built domestically for both the local market and exports) are down in November.

The domestic results are expected to be even stronger in December due to the incentives in place.

Tesla recently introduced a new ¥10,000, the equivalent of $1,380 USD, discount on Model Y, its most popular vehicle, if buyers take delivery by the end of December.

It’s the first time in a while that Tesla is discounting vehicles in China, but the automaker has been offering subsidized 0% interest loans to encourage sales most of the year.

On top of that, China has a ¥20,000 yuan ($2,700 USD) cash for clunkers incentive for people who exchange their older and higher emission vehicles for an electric car. The incentive is going away next year, which is incentivizing EV sales at the end of this year.

Electrek’s Take

Things are looking good for Tesla in China. With this momentum in November and all the incentives in place for December, it will likely be a record quarter for Tesla.

However, the question is whether it will be enough to counter the sales decline in Europe and cover the ~30,000 extra vehicles that Tesla needs to deliver to achieve its goal.

I think China should cover one of those issues, but not both. North America, which is more opaque to track, will have to cover the other.

Tesla has record incentives in place in the US and Canada to address this. I think it has a real shot at delivering 515,000 vehicles in the quarter.

But at what cost, with all these incentives, and what does it mean for Tesla in 2025? I guess that’s a problem for later.

French luxury brand DS is slowly releasing details on its sleek new all-electric model, the brand’s flagship EV, all bottled up in a name reminiscent of French perfume, the DS N°8. Even better, it offers a stellar range of up to 466 miles.

The Stellantis-owned French luxury automaker is certainly no stranger to luxury and innovation, and from first impressions, its new flagship EV looks to be a stunner, even with the wrappings on. The DS N°8 SUV will replace the DS 9 midsize sedan, which sits at the top of the brand’s lineup. For now, DS has shared a camouflage image of a sleek coupe-style SUV that promises a range of up 466 miles, or 750 km. While DS hasn’t revealed power output figures yet, we can guess that there will be plenty of juice to keep you going, likely paired with fast-charging capability.

Fans of DS will notice that DS has now changed its naming convention, adding in that French-style number sign, N°, which is a nod to the brand’s heritage from the original Citroen DS 19 from the 1950s, while hinting, of course, to Chanel N°5. According to the press release, this naming style “embodies elegance and timelessness that transcends languages,” adding that the “N°” is “designed in the form of a diamond tip, symbolic of elegance and class.” That’s laying it on pretty thick, but we’ll go with it.

According to WLTP, some 50 pre-series vehicles are already said to be on the road in France for everyday testing. From the looks of it, its sleek aerodynamic shape makes it a clear target for rivals such as Tesla Model Y and BMW iX, but with an extra dose of elegance and exclusivity.

Newly released images of the flagship EV’s cockpit show a large horizontal central screen set in a flat dashboard. It comes with an X-shaped wheel and speakers wrapping around the front of the doors, all in a simplified design compared to the brand’s current models.

Of course, no word on what this will cost, but like Citroen, it won’t be available for US luxury car buyers. DS has two upcoming models on the STLA Medium platform, both of which are set to be built in Melfi, Italy. The platform is built to accommodate both ICE and battery-electric drivetrains, but for now, DS has said it’s committed to full-electric only.

Photos: courtesy of Stellantis/DS

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Today I bought an electric bike that I don’t need and that I will never ride. But this isn’t about me. It’s about the company that makes the bike. More specifically, it’s about how today, on Giving Tuesday, the e-bike company Lectric eBikes is setting an example not just for the entire e-bike industry, but for modern capitalism as a whole with a philanthropic program that speaks to the core of the company’s values.

Lectric eBikes has a well-documented history of philanthropy as a key aspect of the company’s business model. After soaring to success with a growing line of affordable and popular electric bicycle models, the e-bike brand has dedicated a significant chunk of its yearly profits to charitable causes, giving away millions of dollars in donations and millions more in free e-bikes to worthy causes.

Last year alone, Lectric Ebikes donated over US $2.5 million to support a variety of charities.

Each holiday season, the company explores a new form of charitable contributions on Giving Tuesday, a global generosity movement held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, encouraging people to give back through donations, volunteering, and acts of kindness.

For example, in past years the company has allocated thousands of dollars for each of its employees to donate to worthy causes of their choice. In a new twist on that model, this year Lectric eBikes has partnered with its community of test riders and content creators to help expand the giving message further. The e-bike brand is committing $250,000 and partnering with content creators across the country to support charities close to their hearts with donations of $5,000 or a collection of five e-bikes.

As Lectric eBikes co-founder and CEO Levi Conlow says of the brand’s partners and riders everywhere, “What’s important to you is important to us. The experts and enthusiasts who we work with celebrate the benefits and joys of electric transportation through their fun and informative video channels every day. We’re excited to see these efforts help people in communities across those fan bases while raising awareness for many important causes.”

In addition to the charities selected by its content partners, the Phoenix-based e-bike maker is pledging $250 from each e-bike sold on Giving Tuesday to one of its preferred organizations, Arizonans for Children. This charity creates opportunities to address challenges and improve the vulnerable lives of abused, abandoned, and neglected children in foster care, working to guide each child toward a brighter future.

And that’s where I come in. Well, I should back up and say that first of all, I’m also proud to have been requested to take part in Lectric’s content partner campaign, having selected a charity that helps rehabilitate survivors of terror attacks after seeing that trauma firsthand. But beyond merely throwing around Lectric’s money, I think it’s important to also put my own skin in the game. So in support of Lectric’s generous pledge of $250 donated to charity for every e-bike sold today, I’m buying an e-bike.

It won’t be for me, but rather, I’ll donate it as part of my own charitable program I started called Ebikes For Good. For around 18 months now, I’ve run the program on my personal YouTube channel, giving away one free e-bike at the end of each of my videos to someone in need of a form of independent transportation but who can’t afford an e-bike themself.

Lectric eBikes’ own generosity has inspired me to use the resources and platforms available to me to encourage others to do good in their own way. And I believe in leading by example. I’ve been fortunate enough in the past to partner with awesome companies like Lectric to give out e-bikes to those in need, but have also bought several e-bikes myself in cases where I see someone who I know an e-bike can make a drastic change in their life. For many people, an electric bike can give them the independence to reach the grocery store, arrive at medical appointments, begin a journey back into good health, or just sometimes go for a refreshing bike ride for their own mental health.

There are a lot of people hurting out there, and so the following message is only meant for those who are fortunate enough to be in a position where they can afford something like this. If you’ve been on the fence about getting a new e-bike (and haven’t yet taken advantage of huge sales this season), then today would be a great day to get an electric bike and have $250 of that purchase go to charity at the same time.

I don’t take for granted my position as a trusted voice in the e-bike industry. I’ve long covered, reviewed, and promoted e-bikes that I feel are good buys based on their performance and value (and slammed a few along the way where it was deserved). While I’ll never tell you that Lectric eBikes is the best e-bike brand in the absolute sense, I’ve long described them as likely the best value anywhere in the US e-bike market. A $4,000 e-bike is great, but a $999 e-bike that can do 80% of the same job is often a better value proposition for many people on tighter budgets.

The quality and performance for the price point here is simply unmatched. So if I can support a company I believe in, and also have that support help others in need, then that’s the epitome of a win-win in my book.

So, in summary, that’s why I just bought an electric bike that I don’t need and will never use. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.