Tesla has practically reached one million vehicle sales in 2021. More precisely, the automaker has announcement Sunday have delivered nearly 936,000 cars, an increase of 87% compared to 2020. It owes this performance in particular to the European and Chinese markets. This progress is all the more notable as it comes in the midst of a shortage of semiconductors, these chips which are essential to the proper functioning of any electronic product.
2021, year of all records
In the third quarter of 2021, Tesla announced a record number of deliveries, with no less than 241,300 electric vehicles sold. In the fourth quarter, a new record, the company having delivered nearly 308,600. Concretely, this corresponds to a 71% increase from the fourth quarter of 2020. Wall Street specialists, however, estimated deliveries at 266,000 for this last quarter, and 855,000 for the year as a whole. Out of all these deliveries, 936,172 concern the Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y sedans. Not surprisingly, since these vehicles are the most accessible of the brand. The Model S and X concern 24,964 deliveries throughout the year.
Half a million Tesla Model 3 and Model S recalled over security breaches
In October, she has exceeded $ 1 trillion in market capitalization, after an agreement with Hertz. The vehicle rental company would have ordered nearly 100,000 Model 3, also the best-selling car in Europe in September. The company has thus integrated a very closed club, with a higher value than several manufacturers such as BMW, Ford, or Volkswagen.
Tesla’s strong growth therefore comes largely from sales made in Europe, not to mention those made in China, where the standard of living is increasing. The company, now located in Austin, United States, has also opened new factories, in Texas, but also in Berlin, Germany. The objective, especially with the Gigafactory in Berlin, is to maintain growth and rising production, especially for the Model Y.
On Friday, December 31, the value of a Tesla share reached $ 1,056.78. At the same time a year earlier, the stock closed at $ 700. Another proof of his good financial health. Shares, Elon Musk also began in 2021 to sell in large quantities, for more than 16 billion dollars, mainly to pay his taxes.
Great work by Tesla team worldwide! https://t.co/lsDTCJtMrp
– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 2, 2022
Tesla overcame the semiconductor shortage
Tesla’s shipments and sales increased in 2021, despite the pandemic and especially despite a global shortage of semiconductors. These chips are vital for modern vehicles, just like any electronic device. Like smartphones, a car needs chips for the dashboard, airbags, and even autonomous driving management. A fifth of the material costs in the manufacture of high-end cars will come from semiconductors by 2030, up from 4% in 2019. Some manufacturers have been hit hard by this shortage, such as Toyota, which has had to close factories. . In 2021, 7.7 million vehicles could not be manufactured, according to September estimates. Given the context, the good performance of Elon Musk’s company is something to impress, even if the productions and deliveries of his pickup, the Cybertruck, have been delayed.
Overview of the Tesla Cybertruck. Image: Tesla
To overcome this crisis, Tesla has internalized chip design, without taking care of production. The type of chip used has also changed, they now incorporate new firmware, and are more available than the previous ones, according to the CEO. Changes, which were made possible because most of the elements of Tesla are controlled by software and the company has software engineering experts. The ambition of the American giant does not stop there. He hopes his deliveries will increase by 50% per year over the next few years.
The company has not escaped controversy, however. The quality and finish of its cars are increasingly criticized, while it multiplies the recalls. On December 30, it announced the probable recall of 475,000 cars. Two faults that could affect user safety have been detected. The next day, products sold in China were also recalled.
Video games available on the dashboard are under investigation in the United States. Under pressure, Tesla turned them off. Its autonomous driving system is also singled out. The well-known Autopilot is under investigation in the United States due to a series of accidents which have resulted in the death of several people. More recently, doubts have emerged about the role of this system in a serious taxi accident in Paris.
The company will have to address these issues in 2022 if it wants to stay ahead of its competitors. Competitors accelerating on electric and autonomous vehicles, like Mercedes, which recently obtained authorization to market its level 3 autonomous vehicles in Germany. Its system, Drive Pilot, exceeds Tesla’s Autopilot, currently at Level 2.