U.S. Tesla's new car sales in the January-March period were 387,000 units, significantly lower than expected

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

米テスラの新車販売、１～３月期は３８．７万台　予想を大幅に下回る

2024.04.03 Wed posted at 16:17 JST

ニューヨーク（ＣＮＮ） 米電気自動車（ＥＶ）大手テスラは２日、１～３月期の新車販売台数が市場予想をはるかに下回り、前年同期より大幅に少ない約３８万７０００台にとどまったことを明らかにした。

販売台数は昨年１０～１２月期の４８万４５０７台から大きく減少した。昨年１～３月期は同４２万２８７５台だった。

テスラの発表によると、１～３月期の生産台数は４３万３０００台だった。販売台数は４１万４０００～４４万台と予想されていた。

テスラは競争の激化に値下げで対応してきた結果、利益率が低下している。販売台数の伸びを見込む投資家の期待にも応えられず、同社の株価は今年に入って３割あまり下落。２日の市場でさらに５％下がった。

テスラは販売台数が減少した原因として、中東・紅海の海運混乱や、独工場の火災による操業停止の影響を挙げたが、ＥＶ業界の競争が激化した結果、需要が減速していることも大きな要因とみられる。

ＥＶ販売では中国の大手、ＢＹＤがテスラを抜いて世界トップに立っていたが、１～３月期は昨年１０～１２月期の５２万５４０９台から大幅に減少して３０万１１４台にとどまり、テスラが首位を奪還した。

Translation

New York (CNN) U.S. electric vehicle (EV) giant Tesla announced on the 2nd that sales of new cars in the January-March period were far below market expectations, reaching around 387,000 units, significantly lower than the same period last year.

The number of units sold decreased significantly from 484,507 units recorded in the October-December period last year. In the January-March period last year, the number was 422,875 units.

Tesla announced that it produced 433,000 cars in the January-March period. Sales were expected to be between 414,000 and 440,000 units.

Tesla responded to increased competition by lowering prices, resulting in declining profit margins. The company's stock price had fallen by more than 30% since the beginning of this year, as the company failed to meet investors' expectations for sales growth. Stock price fell another 5% on the market on the 2nd.

Tesla cited shipping disruptions in the Middle East and the Red Sea as reasons for the decline in sales, as well as the suspension of operations due to a fire at a factory in Germany, but a slowdown in demand as a result of intensifying competition in the EV industry was also seen as a major factor.

In terms of EV sales, while Chinese giant BYD overtook Tesla to become the world's top EV seller, but in the January-March period, sales stood at 300,114 units, a significant decrease from 525,409 units in the October-December period last year with Tesla regaining the lead.

So, Tesla announced that sales of new cars in the January-March period were far below market expectations. Intensifying competition in the EV industry is cited a major factor in a slowdown in demand for Tesla cars. Obviously Chinese giant BYD, with its low priced-cars, is a successful competitor in the sales of EV globally