Investor's Corner
Tesla releases Q2 results: Sets quarterly production record
This is a quick cut of the main items from the shareholder letter outlining Tesla Q2 financial results:
Summary
- Completed Model 3 design phase
- Increased automotive gross margin on both Model S and Model X
- Exited Q2 consistently producing nearly 2,000 vehicles/week
- Production and demand on track to support 50,000 deliveries in 2H 2016
- Merger agreement to acquire SolarCity signed, subject to shareholder vote
Production
“In Q2, we delivered 14,402 new vehicles consisting of 9,764 Model S and 4,638 Model X, which was slightly higher than what we stated in our July announcement. Model S remains the market share leader in North America and Europe among all comparably priced four-door sedans, and Model X is quickly gaining ground against similarly priced SUVs in all regions.”
“We exited Q2 consistently producing nearly 2,000 vehicles per week and our total Q2 production of 18,345 vehicles constituted a new quarterly production record, up 18% from Q1 and up 43% from Q2 last year.”
These numbers are in line with the 14,370 new vehicles deliveries and the “just under 2,000 vehicles per week” reported in the July 3rd release. So nothing new here.
One good number is that “production hours per vehicle also declined throughout the quarter for both cars”, indicating the ability to continue to produce more cars per hour.
Gigafactory
“Gigafactory construction remains on target to support volume production of Model 3 in late 2017, and we recently accelerated construction to reach a rate of 35 GWh/year of cell production in 2018. This will allow us to meet the needs of our accelerated Model 3 production plan.”
Notice that the 35GWh/year of cell production is currently the total worldwide output.
Earnings
“Our Q2 GAAP net loss was $293 million or a $2.09 loss per share on 140 million basic shares, while our non-GAAP net loss was $150 million, or a $1.06 loss per basic share. Both figures include a $0.05 per basic share loss related mostly to losses from foreign currency transactions.”
According to MarketWatch, “Analysts polled by FactSet [expected] Tesla to report an adjusted loss of 59 cents a share in the second quarter. […] Estimize, which crowdsources estimates from analysts, fund managers, and academics, expected Tesla to report a loss of 54 cents a share, based on 379 estimates.”.
Loss is higher than anticipated. This number scared a few traders that bid the stock lower to 217 in after hours trading, but the stock quickly retraced back to 228, higher than the daily close. For a company like Tesla, where the price is based on future expectations, the earning numbers are really not what counts.
Revenue
Total Q2 GAAP revenue was $1.3 billion, while non-GAAP revenue was $1.6 billion for the quarter, up 31% from a year ago. Total Q2 gross margin was 21.6% on a GAAP basis and 20.8% on a non-GAAP basis.
Also according to MarketWatch, “FactSet analysts [were] expecting sales to reach $1.63 billion in the quarter, compared with $1.20 billion in the second quarter of 2015. […] Estimize [was] expecting sales of $1.55 billion.”
Revenue is pretty much matching expectations, and this will be seen positively by Wall Street.
Gross Margins
“Q2 Automotive gross margin was 23.1% on a GAAP basis. On a non-GAAP basis, gross margin excluding ZEV credits increased over 200 basis points from Q1 to 21.9%. We recognized an insignificant amount of ZEV credit revenue in Q2. The strong sequential gross margin increase was primarily due to improved manufacturing for Model X and favorable pricing for Model S. Our warranty accrual rates on new vehicles were generally consistent with Q1.”
Another good number that Wall Street likes a lot: increasing gross margins!
“We delivered fewer cars in Q2 than originally planned as a result of our steep production ramp, which resulted in almost half of Q2 production occurring in the final four weeks of the quarter. Given inflection points in the production ramp and firm shipping cutoffs, shifting production by even a short period of time had a disproportionate impact on the number of cars that were delivered by quarter end.”
This is also nothing new as it was originally disclosed in the July 3rd release.
Services
“Q2 Services and other revenue was $88 million, up 15% from a year ago but down sequentially. The decline was primarily due to having fewer pre-owned cars to sell because of the need to use them to expand our service loaner fleet. Q2 Service and other gross margin was 2.5%, down from 4.7% in Q1, but generally in line with our expectations.”
Stores
“We are also accelerating store openings and plan to add a new retail location every four days on average during the remainder of Q3 and through Q4. We are adding stores in new population-dense markets like Taipei, Seoul, and Mexico City, while also adding stores in our most mature markets like California.”
That is about 45 new stores by the end of the year.
Outlook
“Production and demand are on track to support deliveries of approximately 50,000 new Model S and Model X vehicles during the second half of 2016.”
Given the Q1 and Q2 reported deliveries, the 2016 deliveries are now slated to be around 79,000, pretty close to the bottom of the previously reported 80,000 to 90,000 range.
“Vehicle production efficiency is improving rapidly and we are now increasing our weekly production rate even further. Barring any further supply constraints, we plan to exit Q3 with a steady production rate of 2,200 vehicles per week, and plan to increase production to 2,400 vehicles per week in Q4.”
“Despite the disciplined pace of capital spending in the first half of this year, we still expect to invest about $2.25 billion in capital expenditures in 2016, in support of our accelerated production plan for Model 3.”
What is not there
Surprisingly there is nothing in the letter about the pending $2.6 billion SolarCity acquisition.
Full Q2 Results
From the Tesla Q2 Shareholder Letter.
Initial Market Reaction
$TSLA stock immediately dropped to $217 right after the close of regular market trading, but after about an hour of extended hours trading it was back to the previous daily close of $225.30, indicating that we should not expect much fireworks when the stock market reopens on Thursday.
Wall Street seems relieved that the weekly production numbers are in line with expectations, and that the corresponding “production ramp” is still in play.
Investor's Corner
Tesla (TSLA) Q3 2025 earnings: Wall Street’s reactions
Tesla’s third-quarter 2025 results delivered the highest quarterly revenue in company history, and Wall Street analysts are taking notice.
Tesla’s third-quarter 2025 results delivered record quarterly revenues, and Wall Street is taking notice.
The automaker reported $28.1 billion in revenue, topping estimates of $26.4 billion, while non-GAAP EPS landed at $0.50 versus $0.54 expected. Despite the slight earnings miss, Tesla’s free cash flow surged to nearly $4.0 billion and total cash on hand jumped to $41.6 billion, a new high.
The following are some of Wall Street’s reactions to Tesla’s third-quarter results.
Mizuho
Mizuho analyst Vijay Rakesh maintained an “Outperform” rating on Tesla and raised the firm’s price target to $485 from $460 per share, pointing to Tesla’s next-generation autonomy roadmap. “We see 2026E better with stronger FSD traction and deliveries. TSLA is focusing on AI5/HW5 with ~40x gains gen/gen, while ramping Robotaxis and FSD into 2026E–27E.”
Rakesh also highlighted that Mizuho sees Tesla as “well-positioned” to lead “physical AI with Cybercab/FSD traction, humanoid longer term, offset by near-term demand headwinds.”
Wedbush
Wedbush analyst Dan Ives reiterated his “Outperform” rating and $600 price target on Tesla. As per the analyst, “Tesla reported its FY3Q25 results featuring beats on the top-line while missing bottom-line expectations as the company benefitted from a pull-forward in its delivery segment with greater strength across EMEA and APAC while making gradual progress with its autonomous and energy businesses.”
He also pointed to Musk’s upcoming compensation vote as a key inflection point: “We believe it will be approved by a wide margin despite some opposition,” Ives noted. “That will be incremental to keeping Musk as a war-time CEO as the company enters a critical AI expansion phase.”
Baird
Baird analyst Ben Kallo reiterated his “Outperform” rating and $548 per share price target for Tesla following the company’s Q3 2025 earnings results. He praised Tesla’s energy segment for delivering record results.
“Energy demand is particularly high given grid constraints in several regions and a rapid build-out of infrastructure. We expect this piece of the business to capture more attention in the remainder of 2025 and moving into 2026 with the tipping points for longer-term initiatives (Optimus, robotaxi, etc.) more opaque,” Kallo noted.
Deepwater
Meanwhile, Deepwater’s Gene Munster struck a more measured tone. “The September numbers and earnings call were largely uneventful,” Munster said, adding that Tesla’s decision to move cautiously with robotaxis in Austin is the right one.
“Shares of TSLA traded down following Elon’s comment that he remains paranoid about the safety of Robotaxi given any accidents would represent a significant step back in terms of the public’s confidence in the fleet,” he wrote. Munster, however, emphasized that Tesla’s cash position is a major strength: “They have enough cash to will Elon’s vision into reality. It may take a lot longer than many expect, but they’ve got the cash to get there.”
Investor's Corner
Tesla’s massive Q3 update reaffirms it’s not just a car company anymore
From record global deliveries to new AI breakthroughs, Megablock energy tech & next-gen Superchargers, Tesla showed why it’s still miles ahead.
Tesla’s third-quarter update showcased a flurry of milestones across its vehicles, AI, and energy divisions. The company achieved record deliveries and energy storage deployments while launching new products in North America, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific.
Tesla also emphasized its focus on scaling AI-powered autonomy and virtual power plant technology as part of its push towards Master Plan Part IV.
Global product rollouts and record regional performance
Tesla’s Q3 highlights revealed strong traction across multiple continents. In North America, the automaker launched the new Model 3 and Model Y Standard variants, each offering over 300 miles of range and starting below $40,000. The Model Y Performance also debuted, highlighting Tesla’s focus on sheer performance and driving dynamics.
In Europe and the Middle East, Model Y topped sales charts in Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, and Finland while reaching number one in the Netherlands and Denmark in September. Giga Berlin celebrated production of its 100,000th refreshed Model Y, including the first European-built Performance units. Tesla confirmed it’s working toward regulatory approval for its FSD Supervised software in Europe.
Across Asia-Pacific, Tesla introduced the Model YL in China, an extended wheelbase, six-seat version of its best-selling crossover SUV, and achieved record deliveries in South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Singapore. The company also began Model Y deliveries in India, launched FSD Supervised in Australia and New Zealand, and confirmed South Korea is now its third-largest global market.
AI, charging, and energy divisions
Tesla’s AI division rolled out version 14 of FSD Supervised, integrating key elements of its Robotaxi model and improving responses to complex driving scenarios. The company expanded its Austin Robotaxi fleet and launched a Bay Area ride-hailing pilot while announcing a U.S. semiconductor manufacturing deal with Samsung to boost AI compute capacity.
Tesla also introduced Grok, an AI vehicle companion, alongside new vehicle software like Low Power Mode and Light Sync. The company also introduced minor but notable convenience improvements, such as the ability to order food directly from the vehicle at the Tesla Diner in LA.
Meanwhile, Tesla’s energy business achieved record storage deployments and revealed “Megablock,” a next-generation industrial product built around Megapack 3s, slated for production in Houston by 2026. The Superharger Network grew 18% year-over-year as well, adding over 3,500 Supercharger stalls and debuting V4 cabinets capable of 500 kW passenger charging and up to 1,200 kW for Tesla Semi trucks.
Investor's Corner
LIVE BLOG: Tesla (TSLA) Q3 2025 earnings call
The following are live updates from Tesla’s Q3 2025 earnings call.
Tesla’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) earnings call comes on the heels of the company’s Q3 2025 update letter, which was released after the closing bell on October 22, 2025.
Tesla’s Q3 2025 Results
As could be seen in Tesla’s Q3 2025 Update Letter, the company posted GAAP EPS of $0.39 and non-GAAP EPS of $0.50 per share. Tesla also posted total revenues of $28.095 billion. GAAP net income is also listed at $1.37 billion.
Tesla’s total revenue increased 12% YoY to $28.1 billion, while operating income decreased 40% YoY to $1.6 billion. This means that for Q3 2025, Tesla’s had a 5.8% operating margin. Tesla’s quarter-end cash, cash equivalents and investments was $41.6 billion by the end of the third quarter.
Earnings call updates
The following are live updates from Tesla’s Q3 2025 earnings call. I will be updating this article in real time, so please keep refreshing the page to view the latest updates on this story.
16:25 CT – Good day to everyone, and welcome to another Tesla earnings call live blog. The Q3 2025 Update Letter seemed to be on the quieter side, but it’s hard not to be impressed with Tesla’s $4 billion free cash flow, an all-time high.
Now we just have to see how the earnings call will go.
16:30 CT – Looks like the earnings call’s livestream is up. It hasn’t started yet, but the music’s on. Here’s the livestream:
16:33 CT – One of the most fun things about Tesla earnings call coverages is that you don’t really know what type of Elon Musk you’re gonna get. The questions from investors and analysts are always fun too.
16:35 CT – And here we go. Travis Axelrod takes the floor and introduces Tesla’s executives.
16:36 CT – Elon’s opening remarks begin. He says Tesla is at a critical point because real-world AI is imminent. He states that he believes Tesla has the highest intelligence density. “It’s gonna be like a shockwave,” Elon said, highlighting that there are millions of cars out there that could become full self-driving with a simple software update.
16:38 CT – With Tesla achieving clarity on Unsupervised FSD, Musk stated that he feels “confident in expanding Tesla’s production.” He also noted that Tesla Energy is rising quickly, especially with products like the Powerwall and the Megapack. “We see the potential there for Tesla battery packs to improve the energy output per year of any given grid, the US or otherwise.”
16:40 CT – Elon also reiterated his prediction that Tesla Optimus could be the largest product in the world. A good reason for this is the fact that Tesla has scale, Musk stated. Musk also stated that it’s easy for users in the United States to test out FSD V14 for themselves. He also mentioned that Tesla is currently hard at work with Megapack 4.
“We look forward to unveiling Optimus V3 in Q1. I think it will be quite remarkable,” Musk said, adding that V3 will almost seem like a person in a robot suit.
16:45 CT – Musk summed up his opening remarks with a comment on Tesla’s updated mission.
“In conclusion, we’re excited about the updated mission of Tesla, which is sustainable abundance. We’re going beyond sustainable energy. We believe that with Optimus and self-driving, we can actually create a world where there is no poverty, where everyone has access to the finest medical care.
“Optimus will be an incredible surgeon. Imagine if everyone had access to an incredible surgeon. I think we’re headed to sustainable abundance, and I’m excited to work with the Tesla team to make that happen,” Musk said, summing up.
16:48 CT – Tesla CFO Vaibhav Taneja discussed the company’s rollout of its expanded Model Y lineup such as the Model Y L, as well as the advantages of the Robotaxi network. He also confirmed that Tesla is looking to secure approvals for FSD tests in several areas across the globe.
He also discussed Tesla’s regulatory credits. “”While regulatory credits declined sequentially, we entered into new contracts and delivered on previous contracts,” he said.
16:54 CT – Investor questions are asked about demand for Megapack and Powerwall. Tesla noted that Tesla is seeing a lot of interest and demand for Megapack and its related products. There is also a surge in demand for residential batteries.
Looks like the Tesla Solar Roof is coming alive as well.
16:59 CT – A question about the challenges of Optimus’ rollout was asked. Elon Musk noted that bringing Optimus to market would not be a walk in the park. It will be a very difficult endeavor. “It’s an incredibly difficult thing,” Musk said, adding that the hands of Optimus are very difficult to design and produce due to its complexity.
Tesla is really putting a ton of work on Optimus’ hands, likely because the robot will need to be very dexterous to be useful in both residential and industrial applications. He noted that for Optimus to be successful, Tesla must really be vertically integrated.
Elon also mentioned that Optimus is one of the reasons behind his goals with his 2025 compensation plan. He needs control of Tesla if the company is building a literal robot army.
17:05 CT – A question about Tesla’s chip deal with Samsung. Elon noted that he has nothing but good things to say about Samsung. He then clarified that Tesla will be focusing both TSMC and Samsung on AI5.
“The AI5 chip design by Tesla is an amazing design. I have spent every weekend for the last few months with the chip design team working with AI5,” Musk said. “By some metrics, the AI5 chip will be 40x better than the AI4 chip.” This is because the hardware is designed for Tesla’s software stack.
There is also a lot of efficiencies and deletions that have been implemented on AI5. “This is a beautiful chip,” Musk said, reiterating that both Samsung and TSMC will be producing AI5. Tesla wants an oversupply of AI5 chips. If there’s an oversupply, Musk said that the chips could just be used for training in Tesla’s data center.
17:09 CT – A question was asked about Tesla abandoning HW3 was asked. The CFO stated that Tesla is not abandoning HW3. “We will definitely take care of you guys,” he said, adding that he himself is driving a HW3 car. Tesla executives also noted that the company is developing a V14 “Lite” for HW3 cars.
17:13 CT – A question about the Tesla Semi’s autonomy was asked. Tesla noted that things are progressing with the Semi program. Analyst questions now begin. First up is Wolfe Research, which asked about Elon’s comment about Tesla now focusing on volume with FSD now developed.
Elon Musk responded that Tesla’s capacity today is not at 3 million cars yet, but Tesla can probably achieve that level in 24 months or less. “We’re gonna expand production as fast as we can, and as fast as our suppliers can keep up with it,” he said.
He added that the Cybercab will be a big project since it’s a your de force of engineering optimization due to its driverless nature. He also stated that Cybercab production will start in Q2 2026.
17:21 CT – Barclays asked about markets that are outside of Tesla’s core competencies. Elon noted that Tesla had zero core competency when it started. He highlighted that Tesla today is still a bunch of startups that are working together. He did also state that “Optimus at scale is an infinite money glitch” since it could 5X a person’s productivity.
17:27 CT – Lightshed asks about the Robotaxi program and the removal of safety drivers in Austin by year end. Musk noted that Tesla will be very cautious with FSD’s rollout. He noted that Tesla will be paranoid about safety. He noted that Tesla typically rolls out its FSD updates with safety at the forefront, so first builds of a major release tend to be safe but not as smooth.
“This car will feel like a living creature,” Musk reiterated, adding that Teslas will eventually be able to find parking spots on their own intelligently.
17:34 CT – Oppenheimer asked about the timeline of Optimus production. Musk noted that the hardware design of Optimus will not be frozen even after the humanoid robot starts its production. “We’ll have a production-intent prototype ready to show in Q1,” Musk said, adding that hopefully, Optimus will enter production late next year.
17:37 CT – Questions for this earnings call are done, and in closing, the CFO urged shareholders to vote on the Board’s recommendations. Tesla’s future depends on it.
17:41 CT – And that wraps up Tesla’s third quarter 2025 earnings call! Thank you so much for following along as we covered this event. Until the next time!
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