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Tesla Model 3 Sales Shatter All Records In December 2018
3 H BY ERIC LOVEDAY 46
Tesla Model 3 sales soared to new, record-shattering heights.
Never before has a single plug-in electric car sold at this high level of volume in a single month.
The big Tesla Model 3 push was definitely on as Q4 came to an end.
In both May and June, Tesla Model 3 sales exceeded 6,000 units, but that’s tiny compared to the explosion of sales in July, which amounted to 14,250. Then, in August, sales shot up to 17,800. Then, September closed out Q3 with a real blast as sales hit 22,250 units.
Q4 started out predictably softer with Tesla Model 3 sales at 17,750 in the U.S. in October. For November, InsideEVs estimates Tesla sold 18,650 Model 3 in the U.S.
Well, now it’s end-of-quarter reporting time so we return back to a sales explosion. InsideEVs estimates that Tesla sold an astounding 25,250 Model 3 in December 2018 (*this figure doesn’t include Canada). That’s a new all-time high for the Model 3 and the single highest monthly figure for a plug-in electric car ever. Let that sink in for a moment…
Year-Over-Year
If we look at year-over-year for the Model 3, the gains are ridiculous. In December 2017, Tesla sold 1,060 Model 3. Compare that to last month’s 25,250 and you’ll notice there’s more than just a wee bit of growth there.
The YTD tally is in now too for the Model 3. That figure for all of 2018 checks in at stands at 139,782. Cumulative sales now stand at 141,546, which is way higher than all of the plug-in vehicles sold in the U.S. in 2015.
The highest previous volume of sales ever for an electric car in a single year was back in 2014 when LEAF sales hit 30,200, so the Model 3 obliterated that record and almost matched that number in a single month.
Moving on to the Tesla Model S and Model X
For December, we estimate the following for U.S. sales of these two Teslas:
- Tesla Model S – 3,250
- Tesla Model X – 4,100
More Model S & X sales info for December here
Automotive Group 2018 Yearly Sales
Tesla easily grabs the YTD win. Our tally puts the automaker at a combined total of 191,627 sold (Model 3, S & X) in the U.S. for all of 2018. We need not even list any other automaker here, as none were even close.
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46 Comments on "Tesla Model 3 Sales Shatter All Records In December 2018"
25,250 for December. Prior to 2018, the highest number for EVs sold in a YEAR was the Nissan LEAF at 32,000. That really puts things into perspective.
Tesla is the LARGEST EV Maker in America.
Great to see Telsa getting this out. However remember, yes the sales are “record setting”, but not unexpected! They built up a backorder thru reservations of about 500,000 worldwide. So they need to ship out 150K or more a year just to fulfill these backorders, never mind taking new orders along the way.
This is all good for Tesla as I said, but let’s put this in perspective. The vast majority of these deliveries are just filling reservations still. They’ve got about another 350,000 or more to go globally yet and need to get the RHD versions out this year!
It was “unexpected” by many, because people continue to say that once Tesla is done filling the reservations, it won’t be able to keep filling new orders and selling these cars. However, most of the Model 3s sold in Q4 had nothing to do with reservations. This is all new demand after reservations have been filled. It’s pretty fantastic and surely “unexpected” by all the haters and shorters that continue to say Tesla is only filling reservations and will soon die and fail. This false narrative continues to be shared with people and some tend to believe it.
Tesla has stated that over 75% of sales in Q4 was non-reservation holders. But as you point out there are likely many us reservation holders left who are waiting for the 35k USD model 3.
I canceled my two reservations a month ago. Would like to replace my 2012 PiP with a Tesla to keep my model S company, but I think the model Y would be a better replacement for the hatchback. Toyota’s Prime with only 4 seats and less cargo room, caused me to say no to the Prime.
They need to ship much more than 150K per year if they expect to convert most of the 500K reservations into actual sales. Many reservation holders have been waiting for more than 2 years now and everybody has a limit on their patience.
Tesla is lucky that there are no viable, affordable EVs on the market, shipping in volume (liquid cooled 50+kWh battery for ~$35K). Thus, they get away with their relative lack of volume (compared to the demand).
BTW, the current rate, 25K/month = ~6K/week which is ~300K per year leaving some weeks for factory upgrades and such.
Tesla is not lucky, they worked their ass off to get to this
Tesla said less than 25% of sales came from the reservation list.
There’s a lot of pent-up demand beyond the reservation list, so these numbers will soften going forward, but not to the extent many believe.
only an idiot could say demand is softening with no Tesla Leasing Program.
You know Jack-xxxx about autos.
Tesla is now producing cars in 2~3 weeks after receiving the order. Indicates an inventory build this quarter or next. When this happens the cash flow takes possibly an unsustainable demand for cash.
@Limp said: “Tesla is now producing cars in 2~3 weeks after receiving the order. Indicates an inventory build this quarter or next. When this happens the cash flow takes possibly an unsustainable demand for cash.”
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Wrong….
Tesla producing cars in 2-3 weeks is an indicator Tesla has worked out many of its early production bottlenecks. Prior to this, the Tesla naysayers were saying Tesla long production wait was indicator Tesla is not able to sustainably ramp up production to make a profit.
Early indicators are that Western Europe and Asia demand for Mobel 3 is huge and those markets are soon coming online for Model 3…
Yes – Take me as an example. I don’t have a reservation but am serious about getting a 3 which will be my second Tesla. I currently have an S and a Ford Focus Electric. I was going to wait until things settled down and they got all of the production kinks worked out.
Party pooper!
The Model 3 deliveries were less than the analysts were expecting:
“The 63,150 Model 3s handed over to customers in the fourth quarter trailed the roughly 63,700 average analyst projection.” Bloomberg
And it seems that many Q4 sales where to non-reservation holders, suggesting that many of remaining reservation holders are waiting for the $35k version, or maybe that they’ve already eaten through the majority of the US reservations and the rest are international. 2019 will be an interesting year as we will no doubt find out the answer to this question.
Yep. Complete failure. Stock will plummet, Tesla will go bankrupt. If they only could have delivered another 550 cars. Geez!
Bloomberg needs a lower stock price to buy in.
Fake News.
No one is calling it a failure. But tech companies get hammered when you don’t meet analyst expectations. I’ve been living the “record revenues/profits but stock goes down due to not meeting expectations” thing for many years. It’s frustrating, but then again public companies need to manage the expectations or accept the volatility and negative reports.
I wasn’t referring to you. I just meant people were talking about a drop in the stock price. I don’t follow the stock or any stock really. But, we get all sorts of nasty comments on Twitter about how Tesla has failed and it sucks and these delivery numbers are BS and fake, etc. It’s just somewhat amusing.
Well, the stock’s down 7% today, or roughly $22.00 per share, while the broader market is flat on the day. So F150 is right in that not meeting average projections takes a hit on stocks, as it has on TSLA today.
Doesn’t mean Tesla won’t succeed. Doesn’t mean TSLA can’t soar in the long run.
Correct.
I love Tesla but I buy and sell in the same day if raise sell and when cost only 300 buy.
Isn’t not love only bussines
Intel’s stock often goes down after a record quarter – buy on the rumor, sell on the news – profit taking perhaps.
With no current lease and no global shipments, the analysts are wankers at this point. Manufacturing is hard and Tesla hasn’t mastered that yet for the Model 3. I think they are making good steady progress though not as fast as Elon, investors, production control, or analyst would like. As a retired manufacturing engineer who wrote code for many an inspection robot for the automotive, I will repeat that you just can’t predict when statistical process control will arrive. As I was fond of telling production breathing down my neck “You will get it when you get it.” As for the Model 3, the manufacturing growth is not stagnant. They will achieve 1000 per day sometime in 2019. Why aren’t they there yet? Could be the added battery machines translate a new vibration in the floor, or an added room has changed the humidity. When you change the process the process changes. Deliveries were less than tappy tap analyst were expecting. geez
Wall Street certainly not liking Tesla’s Q4 results!
@bro1999 said: “Wall Street certainly not liking Tesla’s Q4 results!”
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Hence why Wall Street is giving Tesla a market cap of over $50B… $20B more than Ford.
Go-fish…
Word is delivery of new model 3 come 2~3 weeks after receipt of order. This would indicate reservations are fulfilled or cancelled.
No. It doesn’t indicate that. It indicates that Tesla hasn’t yet produced the Model 3 that many reservation holders are waiting for. It also indicates that people are placing new orders on vehicles that are currently available.
Sorry. Apparently Tesla misspoke or was misquoted.
Please read the Tesla Quotes in the “Tesla Delivers 63,150 Model 3…” post.
https://insideevs.com/tesla-model-3-production-delivery-q4-2108/
Tesla states:
“More than three quarters of Model 3 orders in Q4 came from new customers, rather than reservation holders.”
NPNS! SBF!
Volt#671 + BoltEV + Model 3
Exactly. And Tesla hasn’t Popped the LEASING Demand Curve yet either.
This is Incredible without a Leasing program.
Apparently 3/4 of the cars sold were from new customers this quarter, so NO, the majority were not backorders reservations.
Total combined Tesla EV deliveries in the US in December 2018 is 32,600.
All Plug-In models of all brands combined should be higher than 50,000 in the US in December 2018 (for the first time ever in one single month).
6000 per week! Go Tesla go!
A possible explanation for today’s stock action – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsd8S5nys3g and this is mostly what happened today with around 150 Million and 2 negative twist on Tesla great stories to bring down the stock 7% in futures market
And yes, for some reason, this accomplishment means the stock took a nosedive. Tesla hit their own guidance, on top of it. Thanks, stock market.
I suspect a big swing later in the day when more people know of the official figure. But meh, there’s no worry no matter what happens today, because it’s a long term game.
I suspect the price drop is the reason for the bigger hit.
Tesla lowers the price as production costs are reduced to continue getting more buyers. This isn’t a profit hit or a demand slow down. Tesla has always wanted to get as many EV’s on the road as possible.
Tesla is different than the oil companies and OPEC when a barrel of oil was over $140.00 a barrel and US oil companies fought to keep there subsides. They said they couldn’t survive without the 4 billion a year subside they were receiving and said that at $100 a barrel they would be losing money.
Tesla’s aim is to fight Climate Change and remain profitable so it can achieve the goal. They will succeed.
Total annual Tesla Model 3 deliveries in the US in 2018 is 139,782.
How many units of the Tesla Model 3 will they deliver in the US in 2019?
150,000?
Maybe more, a lot of demand is still there beyond reservations, as suggested by the fact that 75% of new Model 3 orders in Q4 came from new customers. And SR version and leases will boost demand again. Maybe 200.000?
As for Europe, if every week of the year 3000 Model 3s really cross the ocean, beginning from March (maybe earlier but I try to be conservative) we have 3000*44 weeks = 132k. At least 120.000 should be delivered there.
Already 320k. I think is fair to say another 100.000 will be split between Canada, China, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, UAE and other markets reaching a total of 420.000 deliveries.
Adding 100.000 units of Model S and Model X, Tesla will deliver 520.000 cars in 2019. A bit too optimistic? 480.000 should be within reach. If my prediction realizes we’ll have a nice 1 million Teslas driving in the world by the end of the year!
191,000 YTD is more impressive.
And model 3 sales Still with NO LEASING available.
Tesla could easily DOUBLE Sales with Leasing.
Holy Cow! That’s amazing!!! I’m channeling Huell Howser right now. But keep on building the Super Charger Network because the future is coming quickly!
Amazing how a new company out of nowhere makes the safest, fastest, all new tech in a matter of a few years. The EV revolution has started because of one man! Congrats to Tesla/Space X. An Escalade costs $100,000 with old school tech vs a Model X for the same price with all new tech. I own 2017 Model X that if I bought one today is $7000 less expensive.
That obviously does not make sense and I would think you know it.