By
Svetlana Soroka
April 18th, 2024
The impressive performance was recorded as Tesla had to make adjustments to some key parts of the vehicle production to accommodate for the chip shortage that is currently plaguing the manufacturing world.
American electric vehicle production firm, Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) has shared the report of its vehicle deliveries in 2021, showcasing the milestone record that is notably pushing it towards its goals of 20 million EV deliveries annually by 2030. According to the numbers shared by the firm, it delivered a total of 308,600 electric cars in the fourth quarter and full-year deliveries amounted to 936,172 vehicles.
Tesla’s growth over the whole of 2021 has been uniquely definitive as the company’s fourth-quarter delivery numbers beat its 3rd quarter record of 241,300. The company’s performance in relation to analysts’ expectations was miles apart as FactSet data showed Wall Street analysts had anticipated Tesla deliveries of 267,000 in the fourth quarter and 897,000 for all of 2021.
While Tesla does not typically report the number of vehicle deliveries by region, the data presented showed it delivered a large proportion of Model 3 and Model Y, both of which are produced in its Shanghai Gigafactory, as well as in its Fremont California factory. The data showed the total of both the Model 3/Y deliveries coming in at 296,850 in the fourth quarter with the Model S/X, predominantly manufactured in Fremont, coming in at 11,750.
The numbers are understandable as the Model 3/Y is notably lower priced than the Model S/X, and accounts for why more people preferred the former. On an annualized basis, the deliveries for the Model 3/Y brand were pegged at 911,208, while that of Model S/X was fixed at 24,964.
Tesla Vehicle Deliveries: Combating Supply Chain Disruptions
The impressive performance was recorded as Tesla had to make adjustments to some key parts of the vehicle production to accommodate for the chip shortage that is currently plaguing the manufacturing world.
As reported by CNBC, one key aspect that had to be re-engineered is the removal of radar sensors for Model 3/Y cars designed for the North American markets. This part is now replaced with a camera-based system to enable Tesla’s driver assistance features such as traffic-adjusted cruise control or automatic lane-keeping.
These technical changes adopted in the Fremont offshoot were further bolstered by the ramping up of production at the Shanghai GigaFactory. In its bid to reposition for more landmark achievements, Tesla is currently building a new factory in Texas, billed to employ 20,000 workers directly and 100,000 indirectly. The company’s plant in Brandenburg, Germany is also on track to be launched once Tesla wades through the current court order to suspend forest clearing for the sake of hibernating snakes and lizards.
Beating the Competition
More players have continued to swamp into the electric vehicle production industry and most are set to give Tesla the competition it deserves this year. One of the major competitors is the Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) which says it is investing $35 billion to bring 30 battery-electric vehicles out by 2030. The company now has over 200,000 reservations for its F-150 Lightning Electric Pickup forcing the firm to halt all forms of reservations.
With the war on climate change catching regulators’ interests across the board, more markets are available to be tapped by EV makers, and auto-manufacturers who position themselves will be amongst those that are billed to control the market in the near future.