FILE – A 2021 Model 3 sedan charges at a Tesla dealership in Littleton, Colo., on June 27, 2021. On Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022, Tesla said the company delivered a record 936,000 vehicles the year before, up 87% from its 2020 delivery count. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

 

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Tesla delivered a record 936,000 vehicles last year, up 87% from its 2020 delivery count, the company said.

The electric vehicle company announced its fourth-quarter production and delivery results on Sunday, well before it plans to report its sales numbers from the same October-December period.

The Austin, Texas-based carmaker said it delivered 308,600 vehicles in the final quarter of 2021, which is also a record for the company and thousands more cars than Wall Street analysts expected.

Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives says the numbers are “jaw-dropping” given the ongoing global chip shortage affecting the automotive industry. Ives says the production increase was likely boosted by growing demand from car buyers in China, as well as broader enthusiasm for electric vehicles.

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