Tesla (TSLA) released first quarter deliveries that missed estimates on Thursday, reporting another slip in sales in a challenging EV landscape.
Tesla delivered 358,023 vehicles globally versus 364,645 expected, per Bloomberg consensus, up nearly 8% year over year, though the company’s total from last year was down due to the changeover to the new Model Y, which impacted sales.
Tesla produced 408,386 vehicles globally in Q1. Tesla’s energy business deployed 8.8 GWh of energy storage products in the quarter, down sequentially compared to the 14.2 GWh deployed in Q4
Tesla’s Q1 2026 deliveries are up only marginally compared to a poor quarter for the company last year. In addition, backlash a year ago against CEO Elon Musk’s role in the White House was at its highest, with protests at Tesla dealerships around the globe.
And for the second time, the company published its own sales estimates tabulated from Wall Street estimates. Tesla’s own consensus average is 364,645 global deliveries, which Tesla missed as well.
Tesla’s US sales have tumbled in the US since the loss of the federal EV tax credit at the end of the third quarter. Q3 deliveries jumped to 497,000 units, but Q4 deliveries slipped to just 418,000, typically a strong quarter for the company.
Tesla’s European woes have taken a toll on the company, though its sales rebounded in February after a massive slump, snapping a losing streak that began back in December 2024. The Musk effect and increasing competition from the likes of Volkswagen (VWAGY) and Chinese automakers like BYD (1211.HK) are hurting Tesla’s competitiveness.
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Tesla CEO Elon Musk looks on as President Trump speaks at the White House in Washington, DC, on March 11, 2025. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque) · Reuters / REUTERS
In Asia, Tesla is facing intense pressure from domestic EV companies that are undercutting it on price and features for nearly identical cars.
Overall, heading into 2026, Tesla has posted two consecutive years of declining deliveries after hitting a peak of 1.81 million delivered in 2023. The tally from 2024 fell to 1.79 million, and 2025’s total dipped to 1.64 million. Wall Street analysts expect Tesla’s 2026 total to rise slightly to 1.69 million, though this number will be adjusted once Tesla’s official numbers come out.
Despite the sales slump, Tesla’s stock is still up nearly 35% over the past year, even with a 20% slide to start 2026. Investors are betting on a future of autonomous driving, robotaxis, Optimus robots, and even Musk’s SpaceX IPO to boost the company’s prospects.
Tesla said it would also report Q1 results on April 22nd, after the bell.
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Pras Subramanian is the Lead Transportation Reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on X and on Instagram.
