In August, shares of Tesla (TSLA) bottomed at $297.38. The uptrend that followed came ahead of Tesla posting somewhat strong third-quarter sales. Are sales good or bad?
Tesla posted 486,532 deliveries in Q3. This beat the analyst consensus estimate of 462,000 units. Readers are cautioned not to rely on a firm beating analyst expectations as a reason to buy shares. Even CEO Elon Musk hinted that vehicle sales data will become secondary in importance. The firm is betting on its robotaxi business to offset a sales slowdown. The U.S. ended EV tax credits, which hurt the industry.
Tesla’s Y/Y sales fell. In Q3/2025, Tesla delivered 497,099 units. Model 3/Y deliveries accounted for most of the quarterly results at 478,237. As a result, the other model sales of just 8,295 included Cybertruck sales.
Tesla is a relatively better stock than its EV peers. Rivian Automotive (RIVN) shares faded toward the $14 range despite posting strong Q3 deliveries. The firm produced 19,751 vehicles and delivered 19,248 in the last quarter. That is an increase of 84% and 45%, respectively. But bears are firmly in control. The short interest was 10.68%.
Lucid Group (LCID) partnered with Bold, a European shared-mobility firm. The partnership seeks to develop a vehicle platform that will have SAE Level 4 autonomous mobility. Still, bears held a 22.78% short interest in LCID stock.
