Enlarge image
Tesla logo (icon image)
Photo:
Lucy Nicholson / REUTERS
Despite global supply chain problems and pandemic-related production disruptions in China, the US electric car manufacturer Tesla set new records for profit and revenue at the beginning of the year.
In the three months ended March, sales increased 81 percent year-on-year to $18.8 billion.
This was announced by Elon Musk's group on Wednesday after the US stock market closed.
Tesla earned a bottom line of $ 3.3 billion - that was 658 percent more than a year ago.
The results were significantly better than expected on Wall Street.
The shares initially rose by around four percent in after-hours trading.
Although the global auto industry is suffering from persistent shortages of computer chips, for example, Tesla brought 310,048 electric cars to customers in the first quarter - an increase of 68 percent year-on-year and a new record.
In March, the group opened its first car plant in Europe near Berlin.
Production there, however, has to be really ramped up first.
Regardless of the strong numbers, Tesla warned of ongoing difficulties in the annual report.
Global supply chain issues are likely to persist for the remainder of the year, the company said in the letter to shareholders.
In the past quarter, Tesla also suffered from production outages at its car factory in Shanghai due to a Covid lockdown in China.
Operations there have now started again, but the situation must continue to be closely monitored, Tesla said.
Trading in pollution rights, which other car manufacturers need to improve their emissions balance, once again proved to be a lucrative business for the company.
In the first quarter, Tesla had a turnover of 679 million dollars - more than twice as much as in the previous quarter.
Tesla's bitcoin holdings have remained flat and were last reported at $1.26 billion.
Tesla invested $1.5 billion in Bitcoins last year, but sold part of it a little later.
aar/dpa