Tesla delivers over 200,000 vehicles in a quarter for the first time

July 3, 2021: -Tesla delivered 201,250 vehicles in the second quarter of this year, the company reported.

The quarter’s deliveries came down slightly short of expectations. Analysts expected Tesla to deliver nearly 202,800 cars during this period, according to estimates compiled by FactSet as of July 1. Estimates ranged deliveries from 193,000 to 231,000. Tesla shares were flat in premarket trading on Friday.

In the quarter, Tesla produced 206,421 vehicles total, which includes 204,081 of its Model 3 and Y, which are its most affordable mid-range cars. It had 2,340 Model S and X vehicles, the company said.

The second-quarter numbers broke the last record set in Q1 when Tesla delivered 184,800 and ended up producing 180,338 cars, even as its Model S and X vehicles decreased to zero in that quarter.

Tesla does not break out deliveries by region or Model, and it does not report on production in China versus the U.S. The company currently produces Model 3 and Y vehicles at its Shanghai plant and its U.S. factory in Fremont, California.

In the second quarter, Tesla was affected by parts shortages and price increases that generally plagued automakers. CEO Elon Musk tweeted on May 31 that Tesla had made some design decisions in part to cope with the growing costs and said the price would increase on Tesla vehicles were “due to major supply chain price pressure industry-wide. Especially the Raw materials.”

The company also started deliveries of its higher-end Model S electric sedans during the second quarter. In its classic mode, Tesla held a flashy event at its test track in Fremont to kick off deliveries of the 2021 Model S

Plaid, a tri-motor version of its flagship sedan marketed as the quickest production car ever made.

On June 11, Musk said ″should be at several hundred cars per week soon,” but would not produce thousands of Model S vehicles per week until the next quarter.

During the second quarter, Tesla also saw the departure of execs, that also includes former long-time acting general counsel Al Prescott in April and both deputy general counsel Lynn Miller and former president of automotive and heavy trucking Jerome Guillen in June.