Tesla has long been the global leader in EVs, leading the charge for motorists to buy battery-powered vehicles laden with tech.
This has left it especially vulnerable to changing market conditions, which has seen a downturn in deliveries across the past 18 months, with the first half of this year in particular experiencing a rough start, down more than 13 per cent on 2024 and 19 per cent on a record 2023.
However, the third quarter (July to September inclusive) saw Tesla turn things around, posting a record quarter of deliveries with 497,099 globally, beating its previous best of 495,570 (set in the last three months of 2024).
As has become common, the Tesla Model Y and Model 3 drove the majority of deliveries, accounting for almost 97 per cent of its volume with 481,166 examples handed over to customers.
Year-to-date in the first three quarters of the year, Tesla has delivered 1,217,902 vehicles, still down almost six per cent on the same period in 2024, and eight per cent on 2023’s pace.
As reported by Reuters, Tesla’s short-term gain may not be a sign of things to come, as sales in the US were buoyed by the impending end of the US$7500 (A$11,730) EV tax credit (ended on October 1), which was reportedly driven hard by discounts and advertising.
The US – where Tesla is headquartered and the majority of its EVs are sold – has long been an important market for the brand, and the repealing of the EV tax credit puts extra pressure on it to stay on top.
On the flip side, Tesla has been struggling in Europe, with the most recent data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association showing its deliveries fell by 22 per cent in August compared to the year prior, and are down 33 per cent from January onwards. By contrast, EV sales in the region are up by 27 per cent.
China is another key market for Tesla, which recently launched the Model Y L for the country as a longer seven-seat model, providing a family-oriented option in a market where the bigger Model X isn’t available.
Australia’s Electric Vehicle Council today announced Tesla delivered 4663 vehicles in September, its best month since June 2024 (4683 deliveries). The uptick helped boost its third-quarter deliveries total to 8507, up 11.2 per cent on the same period last year.
However, its 22,653 deliveries between January and September is still far from its 30,750 deliveries made across the first nine months of 2024, representing a drop of 26.3 per cent year-on-year.
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