Tesla Inc. delivered a better-than-expected 241,300 cars worldwide in the third quarter, a record for the electric-car maker led by Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk.<\/p>\n
Quarterly deliveries are one of the most closely watched indicators for Tesla. They are also widely seen as a barometer of consumer demand for electric vehicles amid a transition away from the internal combustion engine.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe would like to thank our customers for their patience as we work through global supply chain and logistics challenges,\u201d Tesla said in a statement Saturday. Deliveries of the Model 3 and Y accounted for the overwhelming number of cars shipped.<\/p>\n
The results beat an average estimate for deliveries of 223,677 from 12 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg and also surpassed the average projection of 221,952 that Tesla sent to investors.<\/p>\n
The latest results were higher than than the company\u2019s previous record for 201,250 vehicles in the second quarter.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the chip shortage a major overhang on the auto space and logistical issues globally these delivery numbers were \u201ceye popping\u201d and speaks to an EV demand trajectory that looks quite robust for Tesla heading into 4Q and 2022,\u201d said analyst Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities in a note to clients Saturday.<\/p>\n
Shares of the EV market leader closed Friday little changed at $775.22. The stock is up less than 10% so far this year and trails the broader S&P 500, which it\u00a0joined<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0last year.<\/p>\n