Tesla, once again, did not disappoint in the first quarter of this year. Its production capacity is near a record high and the number of vehicles delivered has set a new record. However, its Berlin Gigafactory, which recently came online, is now in a crisis of possible shutdown.

In the first quarter of 2022, with global automakers in a downturn, Tesla once again performed well. Production capacity in the first quarter reached 305,407 units, a 69% increase from the same period last year and just 400 units shy of the an all-time high of 305,840 units in the fourth quarter of last year.

This quarter's production capacity of 291,000 Model 3/Y vehicles shows that Model S/X production capacity is still insufficient after the new update, but is slightly increased from the previous quarter.

Thanks to high production capacity in the previous quarter, the number of vehicles delivered this quarter reached a record high of 310,048, of which 14,724 were Model S/X.

▲Production Capacity and Vehicles Delivered

With the start of production at the Berlin plant, it was expected that capacity would continue to increase until a new high was reached this quarter. However, the aggravation of the pandemic led to the closure of Shanghai and production capacity was affected and new problems appeared.

The German government is considering a ban on Russian natural gas imports, and if the ban is implemented, Tesla's Berlin Gigafactory may be forced to shut down because the plant relies on natural gas for 60% of its energy.

The Russian-Ukrainian war has caused supply chain problems. Not only Tesla that is affected. German car factories are facing a capacity crisis. From energy to raw materials, and even the wiring that few people pay attention to, force car factories to suspend production. We can only pray Russia withdraws troops as soon as possible to bring back peace.

At present, Tesla has delivered 2.6 million vehicles. If all factories can operate normally this month, production capacity and the number of vehicles delivered in the second quarter will undoubtedly set a new record.

(Image: Tesla)