Tesla made half a million electric cars in 2020

There’s a chance deliveries could officially crack the 500,000 mark, as Tesla noted these are early numbers that could vary by 0.5 percent “or more.”

Tesla is still tiny compared to larger brands. GM sold 7.7 million cars in its 2019 fiscal year, while the luxury-oriented BMW still managed to sell over 2.5 million. For now, at least, it remains niche compared to its more conventional rivals.

The company is still growing quickly, though, and there’s little doubt that Teslas are among the most common EVs on the road. For context, GM had sold just over 14,000 Chevy Bolts to Americans in 2020 as of the third quarter. While that gap will likely shrink as EVs become mainstream, Tesla has the clear head start.

Whether or not Tesla can preserve its momentum in 2021 is another matter. It could get a boost from the planned start of Cybertruck production late this year, not to mention refreshes like the ‘Plaid’ Model S. The firm added that Model Y numbers should go up now that its Shanghai factory has started manufacturing the crossover. With the fabled $25,000 Tesla still years away, it won’t be surprising if growth slows as the company’s business matures — even if the hoped-for pandemic recovery gets more people driving again.