Tesla misses delivery targets despite production boost

OREANDA-NEWS. July 04, 2016. Tesla Motors said Sunday it delivered 14,370 vehicles to customers in the second quarter, missing its own estimates of 17,000 vehicles.

Tesla said it produced 18,345 vehicles during the quarter, a 20 percent increase from the previous quarter, with nearly half of those vehicles produced in the last month of the quarter due to a "steep" increase in production. The Palo Alto, California-based electric-car maker said in a statement it produced a little less than 2,000 vehicles per week during the quarter.

Tesla now expects to produce 50,000 vehicles during the second half of 2016, eventually cranking up production to 2,400 vehicles per week in the fourth quarter.

The announcement of missed estimates, announced on a Sunday during a holiday weekend in the US, comes after a rough week for the car maker. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is looking into the design and performance of the Autopilot system on the Tesla Model S after announcing the death of a driver on Thursday in which Autopilot was engaged.

Tesla representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.