Tesla Reports Record Quarter Of Over 308,000 Vehicles Delivered In Q4

Tesla has just released its Q4 2021 delivery numbers, and the automaker says it produced more than 305,000 vehicles for the quarter and delivered more than 308,000. It marks a single quarter and annual record for Tesla. 

For the year, the automaker delivered “over 936,000” vehicles, per a company press release. Those numbers are up about 87% from the year prior, according to Bloomberg. The report also reminded that Tesla has said “repeatedly it expects 50% annual increases in deliveries over a multi-year period”.

On that front, it’s so far, so good, heading into 2022.

It looks as though the phasing out of the Model S and the Model X is heading toward completion. Of the deliveries in the fourth quarter, 296,850 of them were Model 3 or Model Y vehicles, while just 11,750 were Model S or Model X vehicles.

Estimates had called for 12,719 Model S and X deliveries and 263,422 Model 3 and Y deliveries.

Recall, we highlighted Gordon Johnson’s analysis in late November where he claimed Tesla would beat its delivery expectations for Q4. 

In a note to clients in late November, Johnson explained that he thought Tesla could “blow away” the consensus estimate of 262,340 deliveries. Johnson said he thought Musk’s leaked “internal email” during Q4 an attempt to lower expectations for deliveries so he could beat them and eventually dump more stock. He also pointed out Musk’s consistent complaints about supply chain issues on Twitter to make this case.

However, while Johnson may have been right about the numbers, it appears Musk is done selling stock – at least for the time being. 

Johnson also pointed out in his note that NEV market share in China was slipping and that competition in the U.S. could do the same to Tesla domestically, once it “fully arrives” as it has in China.

Recall, just days ago, we pointed out that China is in the midst of phasing out its NEV subsidies, which it plans to fully rescind by 2023.