Tesla sets new production record

TESLA has delivered a record 936,172 new vehicles to customers last year setting a record for the all-electric vehicle maker. 

The delivery count betters the now Texas-based manufacturer’s 2020 efforts by a staggering 87 per cent and includes a quarterly best figure of 308,600 vehicle for deliveries between October and December (2021) – easily beating its previous high of 241,300 set in the previous quarter.

“In the fourth quarter, we achieved production of more than 305,000 vehicles and delivery of over 308,000 vehicles. In 2021, we delivered over 936,000 vehicles,” Tesla said in a statement. “Thank you to all of our customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders and supporters who helped us achieve a great year.”

The record number chiefly comprises Model 3 (pictured) and Model Y sales (911,208 units) with the remainder of sales coming from Model S and Model X variants (24,964) and outperforms CEO Elon Musk’s own projections of a 50 per cent increase in output forecast in January of last year.

The company received a major boost in October when it won an order for 100,000 EVs from the rental company Hertz, to be completed by 2022.

Tesla, however, finds itself under scrutiny from the NHTSA auto regulator, which is probing its autopilot system over safety concerns.

The company has also agreed to update its software to prevent drivers from playing video games on the car's system while the vehicle is in motion, following a government safety investigation.

Mr Musk said Tesla had managed to overcome global logistic issues and semiconductor shortages in part by the implementation of a new chip design and by rewriting software.

The announcement means Tesla is now valued at more than $US1 trillion ($A1.379 trillion) on the US Stock Exchange with shares closing at $US1056.78 ($A1457.38) overnight. The company is due to announce its end of year results shortly, and says production numbers are “conservative”, and may be slightly higher once the final tally is made.

“Our net income and cash flow results will be announced along with the rest of our financial performance when we announce Q4 earnings. Our delivery count should be viewed as slightly conservative, as we only count a car as delivered if it is transferred to the customer and all paperwork is correct,” Tesla’s statement continued.

“Final numbers could vary by up to 0.5 per cent or more. Tesla vehicle deliveries represent only one measure of the company’s financial performance and should not be relied on as an indicator of quarterly financial results, which depend on a variety of factors, including the cost of sales, foreign exchange movements and mix of directly leased vehicles.”

In October, the company received an order for 100,000 vehicles from rental car company Hertz, the $US4.2 billion ($A5.8 billion) deal expected to further grow sales even further in the year ahead. Coupled with strong demand in China and the US, Tesla production forecasts are set to exceed 1.5 million units in 2022.