In an official statement, Tesla blamed the low production numbers on “hubris” and the shortage of some critical parts.
Advertisement
“By the last full week of March, the build rate rose to 750 Model X vehicles per week, however many of these vehicles were built too late to be delivered to their owners before end of the quarter”.
Tesla said “severe shortages” of parts for the Model X in January and February cut into planned production.
It was frank about the reasons for the delay: “The root causes of the parts shortages were: Tesla’s hubris in adding far too much technology to the Model X in version one, insufficient supplier capability validation and Tesla not having broad enough capability to manufacture the parts in-house”. The company previously said it expected to deliver 16,000 cars. Despite being just a prototype model at present moment, Tesla is already taking in pre-orders for the vehicle and they have bagged more than 230,000 signatures.
Tesla said that it is studying the problems that it encountered with the manufacturing of the Model X to ensure that the issues are not repeated for the recently unveiled Model 3.
Tesla however, has also reaffirmed that it is on track to deliver 80,000 to 90,000 new vehicles in 2016.
Customers must put down $1,000 to order the cars, which start at $35,000 and have a range of 215 miles per charge. The Model X is on sale now at Tesla stores.
In the first quarter, a total of 14,820 vehicles were delivered.
“While in the grand scheme of the “idea” of Tesla, the “miss” doesn’t matter much, it may stop the stock’s recent positive momentum in the wake of Model 3 excitement”, RBC analyst Joseph Spak said in a note.
The Model X features dramatic gullwing doors.
Tesla Motors wants you to know – it sells cars besides the Model 3. And FBN Securities said “the near-term results are rather meaningless compared to the huge Model 3 opportunity ahead”.
Advertisement
The electric carmaker’s latest sedan is the auto that it hopes will make a mark on the mainstream market, and if sales figures at all reflect the amount of interest in pre-orders then Tesla could be onto a victor.
