Tesla Deliveries Hit 50,000 Vehicles In 2015

Tesla makes only two models: the Model S sedan which sold a record 17,192 in the fourth quarter and the long-delayed Model X crossover utility vehicle, which just started shipping in September.

Tesla said it delivered 208 Model X vehicles in the fourth quarter as it ramps up production of its seven-passenger SUV with its distinctive falcon-wing doors.

"Model X deliveries are in line with the very early stages on our Model X production ramp as we prioritize quality above all else," Tesla said in a statement releasing its delivery figures.

The California-based company says it's currently producing 238 Model X vehicles a week. The Model X starts at $80,000 US, compared to the Model S, which starts at about $72,000. Both models can cost more than $100K, depending on the battery type and options. That puts Tesla vehicles out of the range of most car buyers.

Electric vehicles from other automakers cost much less: the Nissan Leaf, for instance, starts at about $32,000 and General Motors' Chevy Volt starts at about $38,000.

Deliveries of Tesla's Model S were up 75 per cent from the same quarter a year earlier.

Looking ahead, Tesla aims to produce a more mass-market Model 3 at an estimated price of $30,000 US to $40,000 by the end of 2017 and hopes to be selling about 500,000 cars a year by 2020.

Production like that would require a corresponding ramp-up in the production of lithium batteries. So Tesla is building a huge "gigafactory" in Nevada to produce them.