tech
April 2, 2026
Tesla's cheaper vehicles aren’t helping its declining sales
The company's deliveries in the first quarter were just 6% higher than last year, and Tesla now faces a third straight year of falling sales.
TL;DR
- Tesla's new, more affordable Model Y and Model 3 versions, launched in October, have not significantly impacted overall sales figures.
- First-quarter global EV deliveries were 358,023, below the expected 368,000, with production at 408,386.
- This represents only a 6% increase in deliveries compared to Q1 2025, a period already affected by production line shutdowns for equipment upgrades.
- Tesla is now at risk of a third consecutive year of declining overall sales, alongside declining profits.
- Other EV manufacturers like Rivian are also struggling with sales growth, with Rivian shipping just over 10,000 vehicles in Q1.
- Tesla canceled a $25,000 EV project in favor of focusing on the "CyberCab."
- The Cybertruck, Tesla's only truly new model in years, has underperformed expectations, with only 16,130 "other models" sold in Q1, including the Cybertruck and retired Model S/X.
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