Photo: Tesla Motors
Every now and then, Elon Musk says something with the ability to make a few jaws drop and a handful of eyebrows twitch. What I’m referring to is how Tesla Motors promises something, then fails to see it through, after which the Palo Alto-based electric vehicle manufacturer blames heaven knows what. In the third quarter of 2016, however, Tesla can be proud of itself.
With 24,500 cars delivered in July, August, and September, the electric vehicle manufacturer set an 111 percent annual increase compared to the third quarter of 2015. More to the point, Tesla’s best quarterly sales figure ever is a step in the right direction for the manufacturer’s calendar year 2016 targets. Of the 24,500 cars, most of the lot is made up of Model S sedans (15,800) and the rest are Model Xs (8,700).
That’s hugely impressive for an automaker with a lineup consisting of two models. Can you imagine how Tesla’s quarterly delivery figures will look like after the Model 3 sedan enters production? What’s more, impressive is the most suitable word for this result, chiefly because Tesla’s delivery count consists of vehicles transferred to the customer with all the correct paperwork. If it were to play by the automotive industry’s dirty rules, Tesla could’ve added 5,500 vehicles currently in transit to the 24,500 count.
Regarding production capacity, the Tesla factory in Fremont, California, stepped up its game from 18,345 vehicles in Q2 2016 to 25,185 vehicles in Q3 2016. Come Q4 2016, Tesla expects to deliver at least the same number of cars it did in the third quarter of the calendar year. If Elon Musk’s outfit misses the target, the investors will undoubtedly get angry.
But when all is said and done, the real test is the Model 3. Not only did it amass more than $10 billion in orders, but Tesla can’t make a hash out of its production capacity for the upcoming nameplate. Geared for the masses and priced to taken on the likes of the Chevrolet Bolt, the Model 3 depends on how fast the Gigafactory can churn out batteries.
As a brief refresher, Tesla is eyeing a production capacity of 500,000 vehicles by 2018, a number that depends on how quick the company can build and deliver the all-new Model 3.
That’s hugely impressive for an automaker with a lineup consisting of two models. Can you imagine how Tesla’s quarterly delivery figures will look like after the Model 3 sedan enters production? What’s more, impressive is the most suitable word for this result, chiefly because Tesla’s delivery count consists of vehicles transferred to the customer with all the correct paperwork. If it were to play by the automotive industry’s dirty rules, Tesla could’ve added 5,500 vehicles currently in transit to the 24,500 count.
Regarding production capacity, the Tesla factory in Fremont, California, stepped up its game from 18,345 vehicles in Q2 2016 to 25,185 vehicles in Q3 2016. Come Q4 2016, Tesla expects to deliver at least the same number of cars it did in the third quarter of the calendar year. If Elon Musk’s outfit misses the target, the investors will undoubtedly get angry.
But when all is said and done, the real test is the Model 3. Not only did it amass more than $10 billion in orders, but Tesla can’t make a hash out of its production capacity for the upcoming nameplate. Geared for the masses and priced to taken on the likes of the Chevrolet Bolt, the Model 3 depends on how fast the Gigafactory can churn out batteries.
As a brief refresher, Tesla is eyeing a production capacity of 500,000 vehicles by 2018, a number that depends on how quick the company can build and deliver the all-new Model 3.
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