Tesla has managed to buck the trend of falling sales caused by the global chip shortage. It sold 241,300 cars in the third quarter, which is 102,000 more than it did the same quarter last. This is the highest Tesla quarter-end sales (and to give you an additional perspective, 367,500 total units were sold by the company in 2019).
Despite the fact that major automakers experienced huge drops in sales this quarter, the company was able to deliver more vehicles again. General Motors, America's largest automaker, announced Friday morning that it sold only 446,997 vehicles for the third quarter, a 33% drop over the previous year.
Tesla has avoided similar problems partly because it has been sourcing new semiconductors and writing software on the spot to make the chips work. The company is also continuing to enjoy strong sales in China where it began making and selling vehicles in 2020. The Model Y SUV is a very popular choice in the United States. Tesla recently started selling them in Europe.
In the next few months, more production will be available as Tesla has completed the construction of a large part of its Austin factory and is now awaiting approvals to open its new facility outside of Berlin, Germany. This is despite the fact that some products were delayed, such as the Cybertruck or second-generation Roadster.
