Tesla keeps talking up robotaxis and humanoid robots, though its paycheck still comes from the cheapest cars. The entry-level Model 3 and Model Y made up 98% of quarterly deliveries, and the tally beat Wall Street’s forecast. Shares climbed on the news, but the future can wait while the basics pay the bills.
- Tesla delivered 486.5K vehicles, clearing the consensus by about 25K — and edging up from 480.1K in the second quarter.
- Even so, the US EV market remains a grind, with total sales down 30.4% through August — making’s 16.2% domestic plunge look like a win.
Budget brigade: Tesla isn’t the only EV maker leaning on a cheaper car. Rivian delivered 19.2K vehicles, up 46% from a year ago as production of its smaller, less expensive R2 SUV ramps up. The company also reconfirmed its 2026 guidance of 65K to 70K deliveries, which needs a fourth-quarter jump of at least 20.5%. Moonshots wait in the parking lot, because it’s the cheap seats filling the stadium.
