Deliveries from US electric vehicle maker Tesla picked up again in the third quarter (AFP/Jade Gao)
Deliveries from the American electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla picked up again in the third quarter, compared to the previous one, which had been marked by the closure of its Chinese factory for several weeks.
The group led by Elon Musk delivered a total of 343,830 vehicles between July and September, according to a press release published on Sunday, an increase of more than 42% over one year and nearly 35% compared to the second quarter.
If the quarter shows the return of an increase in deliveries, they remain however slightly down overall compared to the forecasts of analysts who were counting on a range between 343,000 and 370,000 deliveries.
The group also experienced an increase in its production, which reached 365,923 vehicles (+54% over one year) in the third quarter, up nearly 42% compared to the second quarter, but recognizes that it is “more more difficult to ensure the necessary transport capacities”.
The group hopes to circumvent transport difficulties by having “a more balanced distribution of production between the different regions”, in particular since the opening of two additional factories at the start of the year, in Berlin and Austin, Texas.
In April, Mr. Musk had estimated that Tesla would increase the rate during the current year and hoped to produce more than 1.5 million vehicles in 2022. In the first nine months of the year, production reached 929,910 vehicles, making the objective likely difficult to achieve.
With the exception of the second quarter, marked by the closure of its Chinese factory, Tesla has managed to increase its deliveries every six months since the start of the pandemic, while other manufacturers have slowed down and then sometimes closed factories, first to fight against the spread of the virus and then because of the difficulties in supplying semiconductors.
The group plans to publish its quarterly results on October 19.