AI illustration: Tesla builds 500,000 cars in 2018
TeslaCars & Energy
Missed

Tesla 500,000 cars in 2018: missed

Elon Musk promised 500,000 Tesla vehicles produced in 2018 by the end of 2018. The deadline passed and it didn't happen.

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“Well, I mean, obviously, if we're saying that Tesla will have total vehicle production of on the order of 500,000 cars in 2018, can't be more than sort of two years to get there.”
— Elon Musk · May 4, 2016 · Tesla Q1 2016 earnings call transcript, 2016-05-04 ↗
What actually happened

Tesla produced 254,530 vehicles in 2018, about half the target. Tesla Q4 2018 production & deliveries ↗

The Progression

May 4, 2016
The promise: “Well, I mean, obviously, if we're saying that Tesla will have total vehicle production of on the order of 500,000 cars in 2018, can't be more than sort of two years to get there.” · Tesla Q1 2016 earnings call transcript, 2016-05-04 ↗
Dec 31, 2018
Deadline passed. Tesla produced 254,530 vehicles in 2018, about half the target. Tesla Q4 2018 production & deliveries ↗
Today · Oct 12, 2026
Status: Missed · 2,842 days past due. Never happened.

In May 2016 Elon Musk said Tesla would produce about 500,000 cars in 2018, pulling the target forward two years. Tesla built 254,530.

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Receipts

LAST CHECKED 2026-10-11

Tesla’s record

Delivered
70
53% of resolved claims delivered.
Missed
63
Deadline passed, still no-show.
Still open
37
On the clock now. All 170 Tesla claims →

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← 100,000-200,000 Model 3s built in the second half of 2017 Tesla makes close to 1 million vehicles in 2020 →
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