Tesla became the first automaker to produce more than one million electric vehicles in a single year.
Tesla crossed the one-million-vehicle production mark during 2022, when it produced 1,369,611 vehicles worldwide. The company delivered 1,313,851 vehicles that year, according to its year-end production and delivery report. This milestone reflected the rapid scaling of the Model 3 and Model Y, along with production at factories in the United States, China, and Europe.
The wording matters: production and deliveries are different measurements. A vehicle can be built in one reporting period and delivered in another, so the two totals do not match exactly. Tesla's 2022 production total, rather than its deliveries, is the relevant figure for this milestone.
Tesla was founded in 2003 and began producing the Roadster in 2008. Other automakers, including BYD, Volkswagen, and Toyota, have also expanded electric-vehicle production, but their product mixes and reporting categories can include hybrids, plug-in hybrids, or commercial vehicles.