(New York) American carmaker Tesla on Tuesday reported a 45% drop in net profit in the second quarter, to $1.48 billion, amid low prices for electric vehicles.
Reported per share and excluding exceptional items – a reference for the markets – it comes to 52 cents while the consensus of Factset analysts was expecting 61 cents.
Revenue rose 2% to $25.50 billion between April and June.
The group surprised at the beginning of the month by announcing quarterly vehicle sales that exceeded market expectations: 443,956 units delivered worldwide between April and June (436,000 expected). At the same time, it produced 410,831 vehicles.
Without giving any figures, the group stated on Tuesday that its futuristic Cybertruck pickup, deliveries of which began at the end of 2023, had “become the best-selling electric pickup in the United States in the second quarter.”
In its press release, Tesla also specifies that its priority remains the reduction of costs across the entire group – which has eliminated thousands of positions in recent months –, the increase in traditional activities as well as the acceleration of the development of products and services infused with artificial intelligence.
It also brought forward by a few months the release date of its new models, including cheaper vehicles, to the first half of 2025, instead of the second half of that year.
The group specifies that the deployment of the robotaxi, a driverless vehicle, depends on “technological advancement and regulatory approvals” but “we are working vigorously on this opportunity with enormous value potential.”
The robotaxi was due to be unveiled on August 8, but the schedule has been pushed back – to October, according to media reports – because of “a major design change at the front, and the extra time allows us to unveil a few other little things,” Tesla boss Elon Musk explained a few days ago.