Defying analysts who had predicted a challenging period following the end of the $7,500 federal tax credit in the US, Tesla delivered 486,532 vehicles in the third quarter of 2026. The figure exceeded Wall Street’s expectation of 461,974 vehicles by 24,558 units. The number points to a 2.1% decline compared to the same period of the record-breaking 2025, and a 1.3% increase compared to the second quarter.
The company, which produced 464,391 vehicles in the quarter, depleted its inventories for the second consecutive quarter as deliveries surpassed production by 22,141 units. Tesla is reported to have secured a credit facility of 26 billion euros for its expansion plans.
The Model 3 and Model Y accounted for 98% of deliveries with 478,237 units. The “Other Models” category, which now consists of the Semi and Cybertruck following the discontinuation of Model S and Model X production this year, fell 48% to 8,295 units.
According to the International Energy Agency, one in every four new vehicles sold worldwide is now electric or plug-in hybrid. Tesla’s era of absolute dominance in the market is reported to have come to an end.
Background
Tesla is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 18 stories mentioning this name in the last 90 days; the most recent is dated October 5, 2026.