Tesla said on Thursday that it was able to deliver 90,650 vehicles during the last quarter, despite its Fremont, California factory being partially shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. Wall Street analysts had expected the electric automaker to only deliver about 72,000 vehicles during the last three months, according to CNBC.
This was the second consecutive quarter of better-than-expected delivery numbers from Tesla. The company delivered 88,400 vehicles in Q1 of 2020, down from the fourth quarter of 2019, when Tesla shipped around 112,000 vehicles.
Tesla said it delivered 80,050 of its Models 3 and Y vehicles and 10,600 of its Models S and X vehicles. “While our main factory in Fremont was shut down for much of the quarter, we have successfully ramped production back to prior levels,” Tesla said in a press release.
The deliveries come a day after Tesla CEO Elon Musk sent out an e-mail congratulating his employees on their “amazing” execution “in such difficult times.” Musk also predicted the company could break even when it reports its Q2 financial figures later in July. In response, Tesla’s stock soared to its highest level yet. On Wednesday, Tesla’s valuation edged above Toyota’s, despite its sales only representing a tiny fraction of the Japanese auto giant.
The reopening of Tesla’s only US-based vehicle manufacturing facility was shrouded in controversy due to Musk’s decision to resume production in defiance of county health officials. Musk also sued the county where the factory is located and spread misinformation about the virus.
Musk was accused of creating a “public health risk” by reopening his factory before being authorized to do so. His decisions have followed him to Texas, where his effort to open a factory to build the Cybertruck has run into local opposition. Tesla is also facing questions about a flawed battery pack design that was prone to coolant leaks in the earlier versions of the Model S.
