The past 12 months have been a bit of a roller coaster ride for Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] which successfully launched its long-awaited Model X as well as the Autopilot autonomous system but suffered from reliability issues plus reports of a Model S burning to the ground while plugged in at a Supercharger station in Norway.
Despite the ups and downs the company’s sales continue to gain momentum and this week we learned that Tesla managed to deliver more than 50,000 vehicles during 2015.
Tesla said it delivered 17,400 cars in the fourth quarter, including 208 examples of the Model X. That’s up a massive 75 percent from one year ago, and it’s also up 48 percent on Tesla’s previous best quarter. It means the company’s tally for 2015 stands at 50,557 cars, which was right in line with its most recent target of 50,000 to 55,000 cars. It also means a more than 50 percent increase in 2014’s tally of 31,665 cars.
You might be wondering why Model X figures are so low despite the vehicle starting deliveries in the third quarter of 2015. Tesla explained that the company starts off production at a slow rate as quality is prioritized “above all else.” Things have been speeding up though and by the last week of the year the company said it was building the Model X at the rate of almost 240 per week.
The next big step for Tesla will possibly be its toughest. In the coming months the company will show off its Model 3 which is expected to cost just $35k before incentives and offer a 200-mile range. CEO Elon Musk has said production of the Model 3 will start in late 2017.
For a more in-depth look at Tesla's 2015 results, head to Green Car Reports.
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