US electric car maker Tesla's sales in China plunged in April from March, but the numbers have rebounded sharply in May as production capacity has recovered.

Tesla Model Y insurance registrations in China rose 131.6 percent to 12,785 units in May from 5,520 in April, China Automotive Information Net (CAIN) data showed.

Insurance registrations for the lower-priced Model 3 rose to 9,324 units in China from 6,429 units, an increase of about 45 percent.

In addition, the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data showed that retail sales of new energy passenger vehicles in China reached 185,000 units in May, up 177.2 percent year-on-year and 17.4 percent from April.

Among them, Tesla China sales were 21,936 units, up 87.9 percent from April.

SAIC-GM-Wuling's Hongguang Mini EV maintained its position as the top-selling new energy model in China with sales of 29,706 units, according to data released by CPCA last Wednesday.

The Tesla Model Y came in second with 12,728 units sold, and the Model 3 came in third with 9,208 units sold.

For Tesla, China is the second-largest market after the US, accounting for about 30 percent of its sales.

Tesla China sold 25,845 units in April, down 27 percent from 35,478 units in March, according to data released by the CPCA in early May.

According to yicai.com, Tesla's Model Y production line at its Shanghai Gigafactory had been shut down for two weeks in April to upgrade production line equipment, and sales fluctuated as a result.

(Source: Tesla)