Hyperdrive
Tesla’s Lost End-of-Quarter Push Does Number on Deliveries
- Several analysts cut projections, citing virus disruption
- Musk tries to limit damage with ‘touchless’ hand-overs
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Tesla Inc. tends to pull out all the stops at the end of each quarter, with Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk often rallying the troops to deliver as many vehicles as possible to customers.
This approach probably didn’t work well for Tesla in March, with shelter-in-place orders and distancing guidelines around the globe limiting how many vehicles the company could hand over. While Musk tried to salvage the quarter by introducing a “touchless” delivery option in select locations, the coronavirus pandemic is expected to have done a number on demand for all automakers.