Tesla has announced delivery figures for the last three months of 2017, and those of Model 3, the new mass-market sedan, have disappointed. Once again, the company led by Elon Musk has postponed by a quarter the achievement of a weekly production rate of that car equal to 5.000 units.
In the fourth quarter of 2017, Tesla therefore delivered a total of 29.870 vehicles, of which 15.200 units of the sedan called Model S, 13.120 Model X SUVs and 1.500 Model 3s. While some analysts were expecting 860 Model 3 deliveries over the period, others had forecast as many as 4-5.000.
The electric-car maker said it "once again" achieved a record quarter for combined Model S and X deliveries, up 27% over the same period in 2016 and 9% over the July-September period. 2017, its previous best quarter. In a note, Tesla said it exceeded its guidance by shipping 101.312 Model S and X units in 2017, 33 percent more than 2016. A comparison with 2016 of Model 3 performance cannot be made since the Production of this vehicle – which has a starting price of $35.000 – began six months ago.
The Californian group specified that at the end of last month the group was about to deliver 2.520 pieces between Model S and X and 860 units of the Model 3; this data will be used in the calculation of deliveries for the first quarter of 2018.
Production between October and December reached 24.565 pieces, of which 2.425 Model 3. Tesla recalled that the production of Model S and X in the period was "slightly reduced due to a redeployment of part of the workforce towards the production of Model 3". The company cited delays in production, which however accelerated towards the end of 2017: since last December 3, as many Model XNUMXs have been produced as many were made in the four months preceding that date.
“That's why we haven't been able to deliver many of these cars in the holiday shopping season,” added the group, saying they want to focus “more on quality and efficiency than simply increasing volumes over the time period. shorter". Tesla expects to reach a production rate of 2.500 Model 3 units in the first quarter of 2018 and then reach 5.000 units by the end of the second quarter. “We appreciate our customers who continue to stay with us as they wait patiently for their cars.”
Although the group said it considered the count of total deliveries, which are "only one measure of the company's financial performance," "conservative," the market punished the stock. In the after hours yesterday Wall Street lost more than 2%; the session was over before data released Tesla down 1% to $317,25. Over the past 12 months, the stock is up 46%.
