BEIJING, June 2 (Reuters) - Tesla's Chinese-made electric vehicle sales jumped 39.4% from a year earlier in May, marking a seventh consecutive month of growth as it held its ground against Chinese rivals.
Deliveries of Tesla's Model 3 and Model Y vehicles from its Shanghai plant, including units exported to Europe and other markets, hit 85,982, up 8.2% from April, data from the China Passenger Car Association showed on Tuesday.
The U.S. automaker saw new registrations rebound across several European
markets in May, extending a recovery after earlier demand weakness in the continent.
Meanwhile, BYD maintained strong shipments to Europe and other markets, helping Tesla's biggest Chinese competitor end a losing streak of eight months globally and highlighting growing pressure on foreign automakers.
Echoing a broader shift from price wars toward product differentiation and technology, BYD has doubled down on sharpening its technological edge, including a pledge last week to fully cover compensation and repairs for a year of accidents involving its City Navigation driver-assistance function.
Tesla, by contrast, is still awaiting regulatory approval in China to roll out its most advanced driver-assistance features, a delay that could weigh on its competitiveness as local rivals accelerate upgrades of smart driving capabilities.
(Reporting by Qiaoyi Li, Zhang Yan, Shi Bu and Ju-min Park; Editing by Joe Bavier, Bernadette Baum and Alexander Smith)
