Tesla deliveries rise 7% before EV tax credits expire

Tesla reported quarterly vehicle deliveries up 7% over the year prior for the period ended Tuesday, the same day that a key tax credit for buyers of electric vehicles in the U.S. expired.

Here are the key numbers:

Shares sank Thursday following the report. Tesla plans to update investors on its third-quarter financial results on Oct. 22.

The company reported 462,890 total deliveries in the third quarter of 2024. Tesla saw a decline in production this quarter compared to the 469,796 vehicles produced last year.

The Elon Musk-led company was expected to report around 447,600 deliveries, according to estimates compiled by FactSet.

An independent researcher who publishes as Troy Teslike on Patreon predicted 481,000 deliveries for the quarter. Tesla distributed a company-compiled consensus on Sept. 26, which said analysts were expecting 443,079 deliveries.

The company doesn't break out sales and production by model or region. However, Tesla said it produced 435,826 of its most popular Model 3 and Model Y cars. Deliveries are the closest approximation of vehicle sales reported by Tesla but are not precisely defined in the company's shareholder communications.

Tesla's third quarter was hampered by a continuing sales slump in Europe driven partly by consumer backlash against Musk and his incendiary political rhetoric and activism, as well by competition from EV makers like Volkswagen and BYD, which are picking up market share.

The slowdown in Europe was partially offset in the U.S., where buyers rushed to purchase EVs ahead of the expiration of a federal tax credit, which ended as part of President Donald Trump's spending bill passed in July.

Earlier this week, Ford said sales of its all-electric vehicles increased by 30.2% during the period to help it notch a fresh quarterly record of more than 30,600 units, still lagging far behind Tesla.

Tesla's stock price has been on a tear of late, jumping 40% in the third quarter and turning positive for the year following a brutal first three months of 2025. As of Wednesday's close, the stock is up 14% this year, compared to the Nasdaq's 18% gain.

In the second quarter, Tesla reported 384,122 deliveries, a 14% year-over-year decline and the second straight quarterly drop.

In Tesla's energy business, the company said it deployed 12.5 GWh of its storage products, including its Megapack and new Megablock systems, which are backup batteries that store energy alongside businesses or utility-scale facilities.

Musk's xAI has been a big buyer of Tesla's battery energy storage systems in recent quarters.

Tesla's Megapacks generally store electricity produced by renewable sources, like wind turbines or solar panels, for later use. They can also store electricity produced during lower-demand periods to be used during peak hours, helping defray some of the costs.

The company said it deployed 9.6 GWh of energy storage products in the second quarter of 2025, and 6.9 GWh of energy storage products during the third quarter of last year.

WATCH: U.S. EV tax credit ending will be long-term win for Tesla