Tesla Had a Not-So-Great 2016, Just Like the Rest of the World
Tesla didn’t meet its targets for 2016, and the American electric automaker didn’t deliver 80,000 units as expected.
Tesla has announced it delivered 76,230 vehicles last year, stating that “short-term production challenges” hampered its ability to meet its original goal. The company said the transition to new Autopilot hardware caused production to be weighted more heavily towards the end of the quarter than originally planned and about 2,750 units weren’t counted as deliveries in the fourth quarter because of “last-minute delays in transport or because the customer was unable to physically take delivery.”
SEE ALSO: Tesla’s Autopilot Will Now Follow the Speed Limits Off the Highway
In total, about 6,450 vehicles are still in transit and those deliveries will be counted toward the first quarter of 2017, Tesla said. The good news for Tesla is that even though it missed its delivery goal, it improved its production rate by building a total of 83,922 vehicles last year. That marks an increase of 64 percent compared to 2015.
Sales also improved for the fourth quarter for the brand, with net orders for the Model S and Model X coming in 52 percent higher than fourth quarter 2015. It also resulted in a new record for Tesla, marking a 24 percent increase over the company’s previous record quarter in Q3 2016.
In related news, Tesla also shut down three of its Missouri stores after its licenses to sell cars in the state expired. The closure may be temporary, however, as Tesla is requesting that the Missouri Court of Appeals allow it to continue to sell cars in the state while it appeals a lower court’s ruling.
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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