Tesla Barely Exceeds Delivery Goal For 2015

Tesla Model S (Credit: Tesla Motors)

Despite churning out more cars than ever before, Tesla’s stock has been sinking and investors are worried. Tesla Motors set a delivery target for 2015 between 50,000 and 55,000 vehicles, and it barely made it with 50,557. The Model X made up 208 of those vehicles, thanks in part to delays in the crossover’s production process.

Back in 2014 the company delivered 31,655 vehicles. That means a 60 percent increase in production for 2015, which seems pretty impressive. But the auto industry is rough and fierce, which is why some are wondering if Tesla will be able to finally start hitting some healthy production figures.

To give some perspective, Mitsubishi sold 95,342 vehicles in the United States for 2015. While nobody is expecting Tesla to become the next Toyota, at least not anytime soon, it needs to grow bigger to help ensure a healthy future.

It looks like Tesla is headed in the right direction. During the fourth quarter, it delivered 17,400 vehicles, a record for the company. The previous quarterly record of 11,580 vehicles was set in the third quarter of 2015. If that trend continues, the first quarter of 2016 should be even stronger.

If you’re thinking that investors are being too critical of Tesla, you’re not alone. The L.A. Times spoke with an executive market analyst at Kelley Blue Book, who agreed. A second analyst the newspaper cited said that the concern has more to do with potential delays for the Model 3, Tesla’s budget-friendly car that will hopefully bring the automaker into the mainstream.

The new year isn’t starting out so good for Tesla. A Model S caught fire while charging in Norway, burning to the ground. While gasoline-powered cars burn all the time, the media has been focusing heavily on the incident.

Elon Musk seems to be taking everything in stride. He’s been in the hot seat for some time, and he appears to be comfortable in it now. His calm leadership alone could help see Tesla through these critical times, but there’s always the possibility of a disastrous outcome if the company doesn’t perform how investors hope.