People walk past Tesla electric vehicles (EV) at the carmaker's delivery centre in Beijing, China January 8, 2025. REUTERS/Florence Lo

BEIJING (Reuters) -Tesla's sales of Chinese-made EVs rose 2.8% year-on-year in September to 90,812, ending a two-month decline as its new six-seater began deliveries in China, data from the China Passenger Car Association showed on Friday.

The data comes after news that the U.S. automaker also saw a partial rebound in European sales during the month.

Sales of Tesla's Model 3 and Model Y vehicles made in its Shanghai plant, including exports to Europe and other markets, were up 9.2% from August.

The first deliveries of Tesla's Chinese-made EVs to India also started last month.

RECORD QUARTERLY DELIVERIES

Tesla delivered 241,890 Chinese-made EVs in the third quarter, the fourth highest total on record.

Globally, the EV specialist beat analyst estimates with record quarterly deliveries as an expiry of the U.S. tax credit for EVs at the end of September spurred a rush of buying.

It has rolled out the long-promised affordable versions of Model Y and Model 3, with deliveries set to start between December and January for many locations. No date has been given for China.

Top Chinese rival BYD reported its first fall in quarterly car sales since 2020, adding to signs that its record-setting expansion could be coming to an end.

To fend off mounting challenges in the world's largest auto market, Tesla launched the six-seat Model Y L - a long-wheelbase variant of its best-selling Model Y - in August. The new model's deliveries began in September.

(Reporting by Qiaoyi Li, Zhang Yan and Brenda Goh. Editing by Jane Merriman and Mark Potter)