Tesla has just released its vehicle delivery and production data for the third quarter. Following the announcement, the stock price of this electric vehicle manufacturer, led by Elon Musk, rose by about 2%.
The following are the key data:
- Total vehicle deliveries in the third quarter: 486,532 units
- Total vehicle production in the third quarter: 464,391 units
The delivery volume decreased by about 2% compared to 497,099 units in the same period last year, but it increased compared to 480,126 units in the second quarter.
According to the consensus forecast of StreetAccount, analysts originally expected a delivery volume of around 461,100 vehicles. Tesla summarized and released a consensus forecast of 461,974 deliveries on Tuesday.
Tesla does not disclose precise delivery figures by specific model or region, but the company stated that its entry-level Model sedan and its best-selling Model Y SUV model account for the vast majority of its deliveries, namely 98%.
Tesla's definition of 'delivery volume' in its communication with shareholders is not very clear, but this figure is the closest indicator to sales volume.
Tesla, Musk's automobile manufacturer, is facing pressure due to the rapid rise of Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers such as BYD and Xiaomi, which sell cheaper and more innovative electric vehicles. Tesla is trying to reverse a two-year decline in vehicle sales, partly due to consumers' dislike of Musk, the world's richest man, as well as the impact of the cancellation of federal tax credits in the United States.
The Inflation Reduction Act signed by U.S. President Joe Biden in 2022 was originally intended to extend tax incentives for electric vehicles until 2032. However, President Donald Trump's spending bill prematurely reduced these incentives, ending the tax credit after September 30, 2025.
As of the close on Tuesday, Tesla's stock price has fallen by 21% this year, performing worse than all other major tech peers.
In a report released on Wednesday, Morgan Stanley analysts wrote that Tesla's delivery volumes in the third quarter will face a "tough comparison" compared to the same period last year and the previous quarter. They noted that last year's third quarter was Tesla's "record-breaking delivery quarter," while in the second quarter, deliveries were "about 28,000 units higher than production."
Tesla also stated that in the third quarter, it deployed 13.7 GWh of energy storage products, including Megapack and Megablock systems. During the same period last year, Tesla deployed 12.5 GWh of such products, and in the previous quarter, it was 13.5 GWh.
Megapack is used in commercial and utility-grade projects, while Tesla's more recent Megablock is a composite system consisting of four Megapack surrounding a single transformer. These systems utilize lithium-ion or other battery cells to help data centers and utilities avoid power outages and support energy storage from sources such as solar and wind energy.
Elon Musk's SpaceX is a major buyer of Tesla's spare batteries and has also purchased Cybertruck pickups worth millions of dollars.
The International Energy Agency ( IEA ) stated in its 2026 "Global Electric Vehicle Outlook" that despite a decline in Tesla's deliveries, global demand for electric vehicles is still on the rise this year. IEA pointed out that the conflict in Iran and the soaring gasoline prices are driving factors that "strengthen the case for using electric vehicles as a way to address concerns about energy security and fuel costs."
According to IEA, in 2020, electric and hybrid vehicles accounted for less than 5% of global new car sales; by 2025, this proportion has risen to one in every four new cars sold.
Tesla stated that it will release its third-quarter financial report after the close of U.S. stock trading on October 21st.
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