Tesla sold more cars than it produced in Q1 2021
Tesla has announced that it has delivered more cars in the first quarter of 2021 than it produced in the same period. The company manufactured 180,338 EVs in the first three months this year but it managed to sell 184,800. The extra 4,462 vehicles it sold were made in previous quarters. The announcement from the company came on Friday.
Among the total number of cars Tesla delivered in the first quarter, Model 3 and Model Y comprised 182,780 units. The remaining 2,020 were Model S and Model X. The carmaker launched new variants of Model S and Model X earlier this year. The refreshed models come with new powertrains, a higher range, and a landscape infotainment system carried over from Model 3.
There is a high demand for Tesla cars as they offer excellent performance, high-tech gadgetry, and a higher range at an affordable price tag. Currently, people have to wait months after booking a Tesla to get their hands on the vehicle. To cope with the high demand, the company has been working hard to increase production capacity.
China has been a focus for Tesla since it opened up its Shanghai Gigafactory in 2019. The plant can produce 1.05 million cars a year, says Tesla, which is critical for the company to meet yearly sales targets. Although the electric vehicle maker hasn't revealed the number of cars sold in China, it says that the Model Y was well-received in the country.
In 2020, Tesla sold 499,550 cars, just shy of Elon Musk's target to deliver 500,000 vehicles. Tesla hasn't set a sales target for 2021 yet. However, considering the company has already sold over 180,000 EVs this year, it will most likely beat last year's goal.
