Tesla's China-made EV sales extend decline in May amid output cut

BEIJING (Reuters) -Sales of Tesla's China-made electric vehicles dropped 6.6% from a year earlier to 72,573 units in May, extending a year-on-year decline for a second month, data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) showed on Tuesday.

The slide came after an 18% fall in April that reversed a 0.2% gain in March, as the U.S. automaker has slashed Model Y production by a double-digit percentage number at its Shanghai plant since March.

The output cut, which Reuters reported in late May, is intended to address weakening demand for its best-selling yet aged model in China.

Deliveries of China-made Model 3 and Model Y vehicles were up 16.7% from April.

Chinese rival BYD, with its Dynasty and Ocean series of EVs and plug-in hybrids, sold 330,488 passenger vehicles in May, up 38.2% year-on-year.

(Reporting by Qiaoyi Li, Zhang Yan and Miyoung Kim; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Louise Heavens)