Tesla Only Delivers 208 Model X Vehicles In Q4

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The automaker’s soft launch is nothing new.

Tesla Motors hit its lowered expectations for EV deliveries in 2015 according to its most recent federally-mandated SEC filing. As we must always note, Tesla hides the number of vehicles it produces from the public until forced by law to reveal its results. Every other automaker in the U.S. market updates the public monthly on sales or shipments. The news is very good in general, but the 208 Model X vehicles shipped since the late September launch reinforces the pattern of late, and then slower than promised product releases by Tesla.

Tesla reports an impressive pre-order list for the new SUV/minivan style Model X. Tens of thousands of current and future customers have deposits sitting in Tesla’s piggy bank. However, despite taking the Freemont factory off-line for a couple of months last year, the company cannot seem to get the new model up and running as it had hoped to. With hundreds of statements about the Model X and all things Tesla and EV by Elon Musk to choose from it is hard to really remember what was promised regarding the new Model X. The forecast we most recently heard from Elon Musk was reported in November, following the already very slow launch. SFGate.com reported Musk as saying “We see no fundamental issue on the production ramp. We feel very confident in being able to get to several hundred (Model X) vehicles a week by the end of the year.”

Inside EVs reports that despite only shipping 208 Model X vehicles to customers, the company has “built” 507." Why the 299 that were built were not delivered is not clear. For the year, Tesla delivered 50,372 Model S cars globally. How many were for the U.S. market is also unclear. Our best guess is it will end up being about 25,000 cars, which is a big increase from the approximately 17,500 the company delivered in the Americas in 2014 and 2013. This projected number should make Tesla Motors the U.S. leader in EV sales (final sales numbers are still pending due to the holiday). Last year the Nissan Leaf was number one and in 2013, it was the Chevy Volt.