Tesla recently surprised everyone with what is being called ” record deliveries”. This may very well be true but why is it a record? Some will say because it is the most cars they have delivered in their history in a quarter. This may also be true but what relevance does this have.

Let me put it a different way. If I was selling ice cream cones out of an ice cream van. Last 3 months I sold 300 ice creams and compared to all other ice creams vans this seemed about average. This would be the average baseline for sale of ice creams. This number would be the culmination of all ice cream vans selling ice creams and averaged out to determine what constitutes an average quarter. Now, If I was to sell 500 ice creams during the same time and I was the only one to do it and no one else has ever done that before then yes that would be a record quarter.

So if we apply that same logic to the auto industry that in a standard quarter, for any car manufacturer, there is a number that represents, the number of cars sold for that quarter. And that based upon this number in comparison Tesla sold more cars than any other manufacturer. On face value this does not seem correct as other car companies can sell hundreds of thousands.

So, why is it a record. Well ,

• Tesla sells electric cars not gas cars so comparing their results with gas powered cars does not make any sense.
• Tesla has a high demand of purchases that production cannot keep up with currently ( will possibly improve when China factory opens ).
• Tesla is not just selling in USA but continue to grow in Europe ,China, UK and soon Australia , New Zealand and Japan.
• And they have a secret weapon, Elon Musk.

To say Tesla has had a record quarter is only testimony to the drive the staff of Tesla and the motivation that Elon can provide to get the production to a point that it will deliver more cars.

The fact that an electric car company whom just ten years before did not exist is delivering almost 100000 cars that don’t pollute the air and can compete, if not, beat some of the fastest gas cars today, would suggest they are innovating and at the forefront of a significant change in the auto industry, makes people take note and call things a record.

The demand for Tesla’s and EV’s in general is on the rise and the fact that they are growing in emerging markets only makes their ability to grow stronger everyday.

So when you hear record deliveries or a record quarter for Tesla, in the future think of a simple thing!

A record is not just a number or a statistic, it is one person motivating a large group of people to aspire to do their best to continue to deliver a superior product, that can change the world.

Now that is a record.

Dave.