Tesla said it delivered 310,000 vehicles from January through March, up from 185,000 cars during the same period in 2021, roughly in line with Wall Street’s expectations.
The increase in the first quarter builds on Tesla’s momentum from last year, when it nearly doubled sales, to just short of 1 million cars, and overtook Volvo and Subaru.
Tesla’s first-quarter sales were almost unchanged from the fourth quarter of 2021, when it delivered 309,000 vehicles.
Some analysts think Tesla could sell 2 million vehicles in 2022 now that a factory near Berlin has begun producing the Model Y for European customers, challenging the German carmakers that dominate the luxury market.
At the same time, the market for electric cars is becoming more crowded as established carmakers belatedly offer more battery-powered models that resonate with buyers, like the Ford Mustang Mach E or Volkswagen ID.4.