After a period of instability, 2019 could well be looked back upon as the year that saw Tesla get its act together.
The American car firm and its CEO Elon Musk still managed to get caught up in controversy of course, like the ongoing Thai diver rescue debacle and the return of Musk's beef with Top Gear. But all-in-all, it was a big year executed effectively for Tesla. The Model 3 continued to be a sales juggernaut with its introduction to overseas markets like New Zealand, production in China got off the ground (its first deliveries are scheduled for January 7), and the Cybertruck was a thing.
Tesla capped off the year by recently unveiling some solid delivery data. It had hoped to deliver between 360,000 to 400,000 vehicles over the course of 2019, and it ended up meeting that window with final delivery figures sitting at approximately 367,500 vehicles — a 50 per cent increase on deliveries in 2018 (245,240).
Off the back of the positive announcement, Tesla's share prices went up by 5.5 per cent to $454; a new record high for the firm.
The increase in share price isn't a huge surprise, given Tesla's barnstorming third and fourth 2019 quarters and the potential of a boom across Asia via its new Shanghai Gigafactory (capable of producing over 3000 vehicles a week, excluding local battery packs).
Tesla will hope to remain steady for 2020, given that it's also set to be a big year. The first Model Y SUV deliveries are expected for the American market, and the bonkers 400km/h Tesla Roadster and Semi truck are scheduled to enter production.