Tesla reaches 5 million cars sold milestone

18 September 2023

Five million: it's a number most of us can hardly fathom, especially when we're talking about cars. Yet, Tesla, the Silicon Valley darling, managed to hit this jaw-dropping milestone yesterday. By September 17, 2023, Tesla rolled out its five-millionth electric car. A feat that, two decades ago, might've sounded like a fever dream in the automotive world.

Let’s rewind the clock a bit. Founded in 2003, Tesla was met with equal parts excitement and skepticism. Few could have predicted the disruptive impact this electric car start-up would have on the automotive industry. Fifteen years ago, they unveiled their first creation – the original Roadster. The Roadster could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under 4 seconds, a testament to the unexpected power an electric vehicle could wield

Reaching their first million cars took a solid 12 years, a timeline ending in March 2020. But then, something remarkable happened. The pace accelerated – almost mirroring the thrilling 0-60mph times of their vehicles. The second million appeared within 18 months. Eleven months later, the third million was achieved, and the fourth, well, that only took a swift seven months.

Doing some quick math (and a bit of eyebrow-raising), the four-millionth Tesla graced our roads just over six months ago. Talk about getting faster at getting faster!

If you've been keeping track, Tesla is hovering around producing two million cars annually. And with the speed they're ramping things up, we’d place a safe bet that we'll be discussing the six-millionth car by early 2024. But don't take our word for it, do keep an eye out.

Now, if we're talking specifics, the golden five-millionth unit was none other than the sleek Tesla Model 3 Highland, flaunting a classy Pearl White. And where was this beauty birthed? At Tesla’s largest production site, the Giga Shanghai factory – also, might we add, the world’s largest EV factory. A fitting birthplace for such a significant vehicle - earlier this September, this very factory celebrated producing its two-millionth electric car.

Yet, amidst the confetti and champagne toasts, it's essential to maintain perspective. The automotive world is vast. For Tesla to rub shoulders with the most gargantuan automotive groups, producing 10 million units annually, they’d need to amplify their operations several-fold. Even with a somewhat ambitious growth target of 50% year-over-year, we're looking at a few more years of pedal-to-the-metal effort.

As for what's coming down the pipeline for Tesla? There’s the Cybertruck. However, until the next generation of EVs hits the streets, it seems the Tesla Model Y will wear the crown as the company's prime product.

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