This undated photo shows employees at work at the Shanghai plant of Tesla Inc. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

SHANGHAI - The US electric automaking giant Tesla sold some 66,000 vehicles in China in January, up 10.3 percent year-on-year, the company said on Friday.

In early January, the electric automaker slashed the prices of its popular China-made models, including Model 3 and Model Y, by 20,000 to 48,000 yuan (about $2,968.15 to $7,123.56).

During the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday in late January, Tesla China's showrooms and delivery centers gained significant popularity and traffic after the prices of its best-selling models hit their lowest level ever.

"In the long run, China's automobile market, especially the new energy vehicle market, has a bright prospect. Compared with developed countries, China's car ownership rate per capita still has huge potential for growth," said Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

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According to CPCA's estimates, the sales of new-energy passenger vehicles in China will reach 8.5 million units in 2023.

Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory, the carmaker's first Gigafactory outside the United States, delivered 710,000 vehicles in 2022, an increase of 48 percent from 2021.