Tesla wants to produce in 2018 half a million electric cars – SPIEGEL ONLINE

The electric car manufacturer Tesla plans to produce 500,000 vehicles a year already in 2018 around – around two years earlier than originally planned. 2020 then already nearly one million cars roll off the line, as Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in a conference call on Wednesday.

background is the strong demand for the Tesla Model car 3, which was introduced in late March. Within a few weeks are for the car, which will cost around 31,000 euros, 400,000 pre-orders received.

Tesla has high hopes for the Model 3 – it is the first electric car of the California group that is to be affordable to the general public. At the current pace of production customers need but years waiting for their car – especially since Tesla have hardly succeeded, meet schedules for new models. From the end of 2017 Model 3 is scheduled for delivery.

Last year, Tesla delivered from more than 50,000 cars for 2016 applies further the goal 80000-90000 cart.

In the current year the Group plans to invest around 2.25 billion dollars around 50 percent more than previously planned. In order for the recently stated aim of a win in the final quarter is likely to be waste. “An expansion of production fivefold in the next two years will be challenging and probably swallow additional capital. But that’s our goal,” Musk said. Therefore, the Group will probably issue new shares and take on more debt.

In the first quarter of the loss increased 282.3 million dollars (154.2 million US dollars in the same period), sales increased by 22 percent to 1.15 billion dollars.

cause for concern Tesla continues the SUV Model X. here, the company had to contend with shortages and quality problems. The production figures fell short of targets. “We need a leader also in the production,” Musk said. “This is obviously the problem that we must solve.”

In order to underline its ambition, Musk boasted his desk stood at the end of the production line. “I have a sleeping bag next to it in a conference room, which I quite often use,” said the billionaire.

After the release of the group’s share price climbed in after hours trading initially around eight percent upwards later melted the Plus to less than three percent together.