Tesla deliveries dipped 31 percent in the first quarter

[Shawn Knight]

In brief: Tesla said a “massive increase” in deliveries in China and Europe that exceeded 5x that of prior peak levels as well as unique challenges encountered for the first time resulted in many vehicle deliveries being pushed back to the second quarter.

Tesla this week said it delivered approximately 63,000 vehicles to customers in the first quarter, an increase of 110 percent year-over-year but a drop-off of about 31 percent compared to the previous quarter.

The breakdown includes roughly 50,900 Model 3 sedans and 12,100 Model S and Model X vehicles.

At the end of Q1, more than 10,000 vehicles were in transit to customers around the globe. Tesla said production exceeded deliveries by 22 percent.

In an e-mailed statement to CNN in January, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said, "As challenges go, this is a good one to have, as we've built the cars and people have bought the cars. So we just need to get the cars to their new owners!"

Tesla in its quarterly report reaffirmed previous guidance of 360,000 to 400,000 vehicle deliveries for 2019.

Tesla’s stock value took a hit on the news, dropping from $291.81 at the close of business Wednesday and opening at $261.70 the following morning. Share value has since recovered a bit to $275.01 as of writing but still has some ground to make up.

The electric automaker said it expects Q1 net income to be negatively impacted due to the lower-than-expected deliveries and several pricing adjustments. Full details are expected in its upcoming earnings report.

Lead image courtesy Sergey Kohl via Shutterstock

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https://www.techspot.com/news/79532-tesla-deliveries-dipped-31-percent-first-quarter.html

 

[captaincranky]

I guess they must have taken the tent down. No more model 3s "under the big top"?

 

[DaveBG]

I guess they must have taken the tent down. No more model 3s "under the big top"?

1. people waiting for the facelift and new autopilot computer. it turned out also the motors will be changed with more powerful one in this refresh
2. tax credit is gone
3. many cars are in transit to EU

despite that Tesla outsold all their competitors just in this Q1 for the entire 2018 combined.
watch these 2 videos to see what I mean:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKBJBfJt8xo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyROPt24Oso

 

[captaincranky]

...[ ]....despite that Tesla outsold all their competitors just in this Q1 for the entire 2018 combined.
watch these 2 videos to see what I mean:...[ ].....

If you're talking about startups and major manufacturers merely dabbling in electrics, all of that amounts to is a big, "so what".

Tesla is doing better, and part of that is because they've been mostly, along with the SEC's mandate, keeping Musk and his big mouth out of the equation.

The fact remains, Tesla has run at a loss since they began. Maybe it's time they show some black ink for a change.

Now that the those "tax credits" have dried up, (which is a nice way of saying that Musk has milked all he can out of the US government), he's presumably heading to China. With cheap non union labor, and limited OSHA oversight, Tesla will very likely become a force to be reckoned with.

I think I'll hold off on watching Tesla videos, until I can l giggle about them being in Chinese.

The part that's most entertaining about this big push to electrics, will be in a few years, when all those "eco-trend setters", start getting $20,000+ bills for new battery packs. And yes, that's across all makers, not just Tesla.

There's a lot of 6 year old and thereabouts used Teslas on the market. It gives one pause to wonder why.

Charge times being what they are, and charging station availability being what it is, hybrids are still, at least as of now, the more prudent investment

 

[DaveBG]

Tesla is doing better, and part of that is because they've been mostly, along with the SEC's mandate, keeping Musk and his big mouth out of the equation.

Most people STILL have no idea who Musk is, have no idea that Tesla is a car company and many have not yet heard that EVs exist. Tesla has spend 0 dollars on ads so far. You are telling me that one "big mouth" amounts to such unprecedented growth? OK...

The fact remains, Tesla has run at a loss since they began. Maybe it's time they show some black ink for a change.

Really on loss? I have heard other things lately... Or you mean like amazon was on loss for over a decade and now its one of the richest companies?

Now that the those "tax credits" have dried up, (which is a nice way of saying that Musk has milked all he can out of the US government), he's presumably heading to China. With cheap non union labor, and limited OSHA oversight, Tesla will very likely become a force to be reckoned with.

Yes. Same credit all other companies making EVs get. Tesla is not even the forst comapny to use it all...

The part that's most entertaining about this big push to electrics, will be in a few years, when all those "eco-trend setters", start getting $20,000+ bills for new battery packs. And yes, that's across all makers, not just Tesla.

There are now many examples of cars on over 500 000 kilometers and some on close to a million. Some of them are not Teslas. There are cars that are barely holding together and the only thing that is still working in them is the battery and motor. It depends how you use it. For example I have never had a mobile phone battery issues. I use my phone for 6-7 years. I expect the much more durable car battery to last me forever.

Charge times being what they are, and charging station availability being what it is, hybrids are still, at least as of now, the more prudent investment

Hybrids are the worst types of cars because you have all the drawbacks of the ICE engine (maintenance, low reliability, pollution) yet almost none of the EV advantages because you have small battery and uselessly low power motor.
As for "charge times" remember that EVs are 100% full every morning. Gas car has to PAY visits to gas stations which takes time... Think about it.

 

[captaincranky]

...[ ]....Really on loss? I have heard other things lately... Or you mean like amazon was on loss for over a decade and now its one of the richest companies?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimcol...9-billion-of-negative-cash-flow/#4342b4d63d65

19 billion invested as opposed to a negative 9 billions in losses

Yes. Same credit all other companies making EVs get. Tesla is not even the forst comapny to use it all...

Yes, and now he's headed to China.

There are now many examples of cars on over 500 000 kilometers and some on close to a million. Some of them are not Teslas. There are cars that are barely holding together and the only thing that is still working in them is the battery and motor. It depends how you use it. For example I have never had a mobile phone battery issues. I use my phone for 6-7 years. I expect the much more durable car battery to last me forever.

Yeah Dave, automotive use lithium ion batteries operate above and beyond the normal life cycle of the type.

Hybrids are the worst types of cars because you have all the drawbacks of the ICE engine (maintenance, low reliability, pollution) yet almost none of the EV advantages because you have small battery and uselessly low power motor.
As for "charge times" remember that EVs are 100% full every morning. Gas car has to PAY visits to gas stations which takes time... Think about it.

Yes they are Dave, if you own a house with a driveway or garage. But if you don't, or you're on the road, you might be SOL.

But think of the poor peasants in 3rd floor walk ups, how do they charge their EVs?

Or is this like a Marie Antoinette thing, "the peasants have no bread"? "Then let them eat cake".

I get it Dave, you know it all and I know nothing. I'm, always wrong and you're always right. Since you're going to do a point by point rebuttal of anything I say, do me a favor, don't talk down to me about the lifespan of electric motors, since I never mentioned or disputed it in the first place

Musk explains how, "the tent is better than an actual building".

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2018/0...emporary-assembly-tent-as-factory-2-0-awaits/

 

[DaveBG]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimcol...9-billion-of-negative-cash-flow/#4342b4d63d65

Apr 25, 2018, 07:02am

 

[captaincranky]

Apr 25, 2018, 07:02am

Well Dave, it's very likely they didn't make back the 9 billion in the past year.

As for your prior observation about how other companies claimed the same credits, that's probably true.
The distinction is Tesla's only, (for all intents and purposes), product is electric autos. The other makers are just dabbling into the field, trying to flesh out how many they can sell, what they should look like, their ideal price point, and whatnot. As you pointed out, Tesla sold more electrics than anyone else. It follows in a sequitur fashion, that they received the lions share of the available monies.

It does sort of raise eyebrows however, that the expiration of those credits coincide with Musk's move to China. I did state that Tesla would be a force to be reckoned with, once Musk gets his hands on a more dedicated, and willing to work for a lot less money work force, along with less safety oriented governmental oversight.

Granted, Ghina does indeed turn out some high quality merchandise. OTOH, there's "Chinese pot metal", a scandalous and massive pet food recall., and a tendency toward some loose tolerances in their tool manufacture.
China has a supposedly deep commitment to electric vehicles. With strict American oversight QC and QA, maybe the product will be market worthy.

In some way, I can totally understand the issues Musk and Tesla have encountered with the UAW auto workers union. American workers are haughty with massive superiority complexes, and they can be quite pouty when they don't get their way..

None of that, in any way tempers my view of Musk himself as a loathsome windbag, and a liar. He's the veritable reincarnation of Rasputin and PT Barnum. He's slippery, shady, and from my perspective, if his lips are moving, he's lying. But his most dangerous quality is that he is a bona fide charismatic.

That said, perhaps that's what it takes to succeed in today's business world.

My biggest gripe though, is his Boring Company debacle. He's going to build tunnels under cities to speed the flow of traffic. As I see it, that may well be true, but the traffic jambs at the tunnel entrances will more than lose any time the tunnel itself might save.

Think about it for a minute. Cars will need to be lowered down to the tunnel(s) by an elevator system. It's not too unreasonable to speculate that that part of the operation, could have traffic to the tunnels backed up for blocks.

Drive down ramps would be a more logical and faster approach, save for the fact the major damage it would do to existing roadways and traffic. In the end though, it would depend on the number of tow sleds in operation in any given tunnel.