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Despite significant skepticism, Tesla's 2019 deliveries exceeded projections. Tesla delivered more vehicles than expected in the fourth quarter and achieved its annual targets. In the three months to the end of December, 112,000 cars were brought to customers worldwide, Tesla announced.
The majority, with 92,550 units, was Tesla's Model 3, with which tech billionaire Elon Musk's company wants to conquer the mass market. The company delivered around 367,500 vehicles throughout the past year.
"We continue to focus on expanding production in the United States and at our new plant in Shanghai," said Tesla. The company launched the factory in China in less than a year and recently handed over the first Model 3 to employees there.
Tesla has high hopes for China, the largest car market in the world. Local importation can avoid high import duties. The carmaker is planning its first major European plant in Germany. The compact SUV Model Y is to be manufactured in Grünheide near Berlin from 2021. Construction on the site is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2020.
Canaccord Genuity's Jed Dorsheimer reiterated buy rating on Tesla, saying that he was "highly encouraged" by the results, which reinforce his view that the company is the "clear leader" in the electric vehicle (EV) market. "We view these results as a clear indication that EV demand remains strong for Tesla and that the company is well positioned for 2020 with continued positive momentum in all business areas," Dorsheimer wrote in a research note.
Elon Musk announced Tesla's Cybertruck in November.
With a starting price of $39,900, Cybertruck reached 250,000 pre-orders during the first week.
The electric Tesla Cybertruck may have outlandish styling but, at heart, it's still just a four-wheel, four-door pickup. That said, it does offer plenty of features you won't find on many other mass-market trucks, and not just its battery pack.
Along with its full-width LED headlight bar, there's an auxiliary strip for off-road driving hidden at the top of its windshield, just below the unique peak in its roof.
The Cybertruck's body is constructed of thick sheets of the same 30X cold-rolled stainless steel used on the SpaceX Starship. Scratch- and dent-resistant.
The Cybertruck has a steering wheel modeled after the type on an aircraft yoke with grips at 9 and 3 o'clock.
The Cybertruck will come with an optional Cyberquad electric ATV that you can drive into the bed using a ramp that extends from the tailgate as the pickup's standard air suspension system squats.
Seats six. Like some traditional trucks, the Cybertruck has three-across front seating thanks to a center jump seat that turns into an armrest when not in use.
Tesla will offer a camping package that includes a polygonal tent to match its styling, a raised sleeping floor for the bed, and a slide-out electric stove that runs off the battery pack.
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