Tesla is the world’s first lithium-ion battery electric vehicle manufacturer. Elon Musk’s company revolutionized the automotive industry and revived electric cars once and for all. Today, the American carmaker has four gigafactories building fully electric vehicles on three continents and selling Tesla cars all around the world.
As of July 2023, Tesla has sold a total of 4,527,916 electric vehicles. It first started in 2008 with the Lotus Elise-based electric sports car Tesla Roadster. Texas-based marque’s first purely electric model was Tesla Model S, which was launched in 2012. The high-end electric SUV Model X followed its sibling in 2015 when the first deliveries were made. In 2017, Tesla finally bring its relatively affordable EV called Model 3 into the market. After getting out of production hell alive, Tesla has steadily increased its capacity through more than one million EVs per year. In 2022, American EV marker officially reached the milestone of delivering more than 1 million electric vehicles, 1,31 million to be exact.
Tesla Sales By Year
Year | Total Sales | Vehicle Models Sold |
---|---|---|
2008 | ~100 | Roadster |
2009 | ~900 | Roadster |
2010 | ~400 | Roadster |
2011 | 774 | Roadster |
2012 | 3,000 | Roadster, Model S |
2013 | 22,477 | Model S |
2014 | 31,655 | Model S |
2015 | 50,658 | Model S, Model X (Q4 ’15) |
2016 | 76,285 | Model S, Model X |
2017 | 103,181 | Model S/X, Model 3 (Q3 ’17) |
2018 | 245,506 | Model S/X, Model 3 |
2019 | 354,245 | Model S/X, Model 3 |
2020 | 499,647 | Model S/X, Model 3/Y |
2021 | 936,222 | Model S/X, Model 3/Y |
2022 | 1,313,851 | Model S/X, Model 3/Y |
2023 | 889,015* | Model S/X, Model 3/Y |
Total Number of Teslas Sold | 4,527,916 |
---|
*This figure is not complete right now. It will be updated once Tesla publishes the sales info for the rest of the 2023.
In 2022, Tesla sold 1,2 million Model 3s and Ys combined. The last sales record was around 900K in 2021, which translates to a more than 30% increase. Model S/X sales are also steadily moving up, as first deliveries in Europe and China have began in the last days of 2022. Tesla managed to deliver 66,705 Model S and X vehicles to customers last year. It’s still lower than the pre-Model 3/Y era, but production has not reach its full capacity yet. Rumors suggest that Giga Berlin will soon start building the high-end Tesla EVs in 2023.
Tesla launched its first vehicle in 2008. It only produced around 2,500 electric roadsters. In 2012, its first purely electric model went on sale: Tesla Model S. The electric sedan has been on sale ever since. Then, Tesla’s luxury SUV, Model X was launched in 2015.
When Tesla first started selling the mid-range electric sedan Model 3 in 2017, it needed a tremendous amount of effort to increase its production rate. After all, the Model 3 was the first vehicle that Tesla built at a rate similar to mainstream vehicles. Soon after solving its production problems, Tesla ramped up its annual sales to almost 250K in 2018. This figure was doubled in 2020, thanks to the more popular SUV version of the Model 3.
How Many Tesla Model 3, Y Sold?
Vehicle | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tesla Model 3 | 1,764 | 146,055 | 300,885 | —- | —- | —- | —- |
Tesla Model 3/Y | — | —- | —- | 442,562 | 911,531 | 1,247,146 | 859,095 |
As of 2023, Tesla has sold a total of 3,909,038 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in the world. According to Motor Intelligence, 252,000 Model Ys were sold in the US in 2022. It’s the sixth best selling vehicle in the country.
Model 3 is what makes Tesla the global EV juggernaut today. It is reasonably priced. it has impressive specs, both performance, and range-wise. Model 3 made it into the best-selling EVs list in almost every country it had launched. Tesla sold only 1,764 Model 3s in the first year. In 2018, Model 3’s production dramatically ramped up, and sales figures quickly jumped to 146,055. Texas-based doubled its Model 3 sales a year after that to 300,885.
Then, Tesla’s mid-size electric SUV Model Y came in. Since its launch in 2020, Model Y has been holding the best-selling electric SUV title in the world. It recently surpassed its sibling Model 3 to become the most popular Tesla car on sale. Tesla has been sharing a combined sales figure for Model Y and Model 3, so there is no way to answer the question of exactly how many Model Ys have been sold. But it is estimated that Model Y reached the 500,000 sales milestone in Q1 2022. As of this year, Tesla has been building Model Ys in every car plant it has operated. Giga Berlin and Giga Texas are only producing Model Ys, and yet Tesla cannot keep up with the high demand.
How Many Model S, X Sold in the World?
Vehicle | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tesla Model S | 2,650 | 22,477 | 31,655 | — | —- | —- | —- | —- | —- | —- | —- | —- |
Tesla Model S/X | — | —- | —- | 50,658 | 76,285 | 101,417 | 99,451 | 66,780 | 57,085 | 24,980 | 66,705 | 29,920 |
As of 2023, Tesla has sold a total of 630,063 Model S and Model X vehicles in the world. Sales have been declining ever since the Model 3’s launch in 2017. But new tri-motor Plaid versions of the Model S/X are attracting new customers not only in US but also in China and Europe as well.
Model S is the first vehicle that fully designed and developed by Tesla. It was a remarkable milestone for the EV universe. Deliveries began in 2012 and 2,650 units sold. Tesla sold almost ten times more than that in the next year. Sales have been plumbing since the launch of Model 3 and the Model Y. But Model S is still one of the best electric vehicles out there.
After getting a huge refresh, Model S and Model X production has been getting back to normal and 2022 sales almost tripled compared to 2021.
Tesla Cars’ Launch Date, Production Places
Vehicle Model | Launch Date | Production Years | Production Plant |
---|---|---|---|
Tesla Roadster | February 1, 2008 | 2008-2012 | Hethel, UK & Menlo Park, CA |
Tesla Model S | June 22, 2012 | 2012- | Fremont, CA |
Tesla Model X | September 29, 2015 | 2015- | Fremont, CA |
Tesla Model 3 | July 7, 2017 | 2017- | Fremont, Giga Texas, Giga Shanghai |
Tesla Model Y | March 13, 2020 | 2020- | Fremont, Giga Texas, Giga Berlin, Giga Shanghai |
Tesla Roadster 2nd Gen | 2023 (TBA) | 2023 | Fremont Factory |
Tesla Semi | December 1, 2022 | 2022- | Storey County, Nevada, Gigafactory Nevada |
Tesla Cybertruck | Late 2023 (TBA) | 2023- | Giga Texas |
Tesla Model 2 | TBA | 2024- | Giga Shanghai |
Tesla was building its first EV both in UK and US. European models were produced in Hethel, UK. American models were built in the US and Tesla used body and chassis parts exported by Lotus. In 2012, Tesla has finally started production at the Fremont factory it was purchased in 2010. This plant was first opened by General Motors in 1962. Today, this half-a-century-old factory produces all four models Tesla is currently offering.
In 2019, Tesla opened its first foreign car factory, the Chinese manufacturing facility in Shanghai. It has become the largest production site Tesla owns, as of today. Giga Shanghai produced around 473K vehicles in 2021, according to analysts. Today, Tesla has been building electric vehicles at four different locations: Fremont Factory, Giga Shanghai, Giga Berlin, and Giga Texas. Berlin and Texas factories started their operation in early 2022. Shanghai and Texas will be responsible for the production of future models such as Cybertruck, affordable Model 2, and the long-waited electric truck called Tesla Semi.
The main cost of any EV is the battery. The 400 mile range of the long range S costs $100,000. A 3 might cost less, but a lot of that is a smaller battery. No one can sell a high range EV for $50,000, unless the battery is small, and then it’s low range.