Update, 7 p.m.: Adds details from Tesla’s earnings conference call.
Anyone hoping to ratchet the Tesla Motors hype down a notch will want to ignore the company’s second-quarter results delivered on Wednesday afternoon. Tesla turned a profit, much to the surprise of Wall Street analysts, and said it shipped a record number of its Model S luxury sedans that have become all the rage with the wealthy, eco-conscious set. The results pushed Tesla shares further into the stratosphere and boosted its market cap beyond that of Suzuki Motor, Mitsubishi Motors and Isuzu Motors.
