Tesla misses Q3 delivery expectations amid stiff competition in China and Europe: Report

This shortfall has raised concerns about Tesla's ability to maintain its annual delivery growth, potentially leading to its first-ever decline in yearly deliveries.

Shares of Tesla dropped over 6% in morning trading on Wednesday, wiping out most of the company’s gains for the year.

The shift in consumer preference towards hybrid vehicles, fewer European subsidies, and aggressive competition from Chinese automakers like BYD and Xpeng, which benefit from local government subsidies, contributed to the delivery challenges.

Tesla reported a 6.4% increase in deliveries for the July-September quarter, reaching 462,890 vehicles.

However, this fell short of the 469,828 vehicles expected by analysts polled by LSEG.

Despite missing expectations, some analysts remained optimistic.

According to the report, Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said, "Deliveries returning to growth were the most important thing, especially given the major push on promotions and financing terms to stimulate demand."

Tesla introduced various incentives earlier this year, such as offers on insurance and zero-interest financing, particularly in China, which accounts for a third of its sales.

However, Tesla now faces the challenge of delivering 516,344 vehicles in the fourth quarter to meet its 2023 delivery target of 1.81 million vehicles. A failure to hit this mark could result in Tesla’s first-ever annual decline in deliveries.

The company produced 469,796 vehicles in Q3, delivering 439,975 Model 3 and Model Y units, alongside 22,915 of its other models, including the Model S, Cybertruck, and Model X.

In July, Tesla’s struggles in Europe were highlighted by BMW's dominance in the region’s battery-electric vehicle market, surpassing Tesla.

Meanwhile, BYD, Tesla’s Chinese rival, delivered 443,426 battery electric vehicles in Q3, but its focus on plug-in hybrids, whose deliveries surged over 75%, contributed to the competitive landscape.