Tesla to become top luxury car brand in China as deliveries surge

Tesla's deliveries in China surpassed 77,000 vehicles in May, surging more than 142 percent year on year, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association.

With this impressive figure, the United States automaker is expected to once again surpass BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi to become the top luxury car brand in terms of delivery in China.

In global markets, according to JATO Dynamics data, Tesla's Model Y has become the best-selling car in the first quarter, outselling Toyota's Corolla and becoming the industry leader in pure electric vehicle sales.

Meanwhile, in an effort to provide Chinese customers with the best possible experience, Tesla has announced a limited-time referral program.

Customers who refer a friend to purchase a new Model S/X and take delivery before June 30 will receive a 7,000-yuan (US$983.66) referral incentive, which can be used to offset the car's final payment. The buyer will also receive 90 days of the enhanced autopilot feature and three years of free supercharging. Referrers will receive 48,000 reward points, which can be used to redeem various exclusive rewards such as supercharging mileage, TeslaMic wireless microphone, and children's learning bikes.

Tesla's focus on research and development and production has helped the new-energy vehicle giant become one of the most innovative brands globally, with the Boston Consulting Group placing the company second in the overall rankings for innovation, only after Apple Inc.

Its latest Model S Plaid has set two world records in recent days. The car with the track pack broke the speed record at the Nurburgring race track near Cologne, Germany, with a lap time of 7 minutes 25.231 seconds, making it the fastest electric car to set the lap record. It also set a new quarter-mile record of 8.73 seconds.