509,737. Let’s call it what it is: that is a highly respectable production number for calendar year 2020, the number of Models S, X, 3 and why produced by Tesla.

Tesla doesn’t break down the numbers by specific models.

Rather, it reports it this way:

Model S/X:   54,805

Model 3/Y:    454,932

A lot of cars.

ooo

Tesla doesn’t break out where the vehicles are built. Its Giga Shanghai is building the Model 3 and Model Y production is anticipated (if not occurring). The plant is said to have a capacity of 250,000 vehicles a year.

So it could be that given that the Tesla plant in Fremont, California, is building all four models, perhaps a considerable number of the Model 3/Y are being produced in Shanghai. (After all, there are those 54,805 that had to be manufactured.)

ooo

Tesla is credited with doing things that traditional OEMs have not done. (Not the least of which is selling electric vehicles at volume.)

In that reporting of 2020 production it is doing something traditional OEMs have not done:

Reporting based on platforms.

That is, the S/X share a platform. The 3/Y share a platform.

So rather than separating the volumes, it is aggregating the platforms.

ooo

There is a number set of numbers Tesla reported for the year: deliveries.

So while it produced 509,737 vehicles, it delivered 499,550.

Obviously, a number of those vehicles are in transit. Or sitting on lots (not dealer lots, per se).

Tesla shorts will also argue that there are probably a non-trivial being held back for post-production fixes.

Which may be the case.

Which is doing something traditional OEMs have done.