Tesla Posts 3Q Sales Record But Pace Lags
Tesla Inc.’s sales hit a record 97,000 units in July-September, but that pace isn't enough to reach the company's full-year target of at least 360,000 electric cars.
#hybrid
Tesla Inc. reports its global sales climbed to a record 97,000 units in July-September.
But that pace isn’t strong enough to deliver the full-year volume of at least 360,000 electric cars promised by CEO Elon Musk. The shortfall caused a 6% drop to less than $230 in Tesla’s share price during after-hours trading yesterday.
Tesla’s EV deliveries through the first nine months of the year came close to 255,000 units. That means the company must deliver at least 105,000 cars in the current quarter to achieve Musk’s goal.
But volume alone won’t satisfy skeptical investors, who wonder when Tesla will deliver sustainable profits. More than 80% of Tesla sales in the third quarter were the company’s Model 3 sedan, which currently is based priced at $39,000. It isn’t clear whether the company can earn a profit at that price point.
Tesla has lost more than $6 billion since its inception 16 years ago, including more than $1 billion in the first half of 2019. Musk has told analysts the company would be close to break even in the third quarter and profitable in the final three months of the year.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Hyundai Shops for a Partner to Make Electric Scooters
Hyundai Motor Co. is looking for a domestic partner to mass-produce the fold-up Ioniq electric scooter it unveiled at last year’s CES show in Las Vegas, a source tells The Korea Herald.
-
48-volt Hits Production
“In 2025, approximately one in five new vehicles across the world will be equipped with a 48-volt drive,” Juergen Wiesenberger, head of Hybrid Electric Vehicles at Continental North America said last week.
-
2016 Mercedes-Benz Metris Cargo Van 126
Think of a company that has a wide range of vehicles, ranging from a small EV to a large van, from a sports car to a family car.