Tesla sets sales records

Tesla Motors has reported sales of 50,580 cars in 2015 – meeting its delivery expectations of 50,000 to 52,000 vehicles – following a record 17,400 deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2015.

Of the Q4 sales, the large Model S sedan accounted for 17,192 sales – 75 per cent more than its Q4 2014 tally and 48 per cent up on the car's previous quarterly record – following increased deliveries in Europe, where an expiring tax credit in Denmark contributed to the spike.

The remainder – just 208 vehicles – were deliveries of the new Model X crossover, production of which has been delayed, putting further pressure on Tesla to match supply with demand.

While the first US customers – or "founders", as Tesla calls them -- have now taken delivery more than three years after making a deposit, a further 299 Model X vehicles produced in Q4 will be delivered early this year.

Tesla has been taking refundable deposits for the Model X for some months in Australia, where first deliveries are forecast for the third quarter of this year. The company has a policy of not divulging individual market sales figures.

Tesla says it is now producing about 238 Model X vehicles per week and plans to be at full production by the end of March, when it forecasts to build between 1600 and 1800 Model S and Model X vehicles per week at its Fremont assembly plant in California.

“Model X deliveries are in line with the very early stages of our Model X production ramp as we prioritise quality above all else," said the company.

Sales of the Model S passed the 90,000 mark last October – all of which were voluntarily recalled due to a seatbelt pretensioner issue in November, but the large sedan is now the subject of a second fire-related investigation following a blaze that destroyed a Model S in Norway – the car's largest market.

According to Norwegian television station Web page, VG.no, a Model S caught on fire after an owner plugged in his vehicle at a Supercharger station on New Year’s Day and walked away.

The incident is currently under investigation by Tesla, whose Superchargers deliver more than twice the power of similar fast-charging systems used by rival car-makers.

Nobody was injured in the reported fire, which follows the addition of extra underbody protection beneath the Model S after several vehicles caught fire after road debris punctured its floor-mounted lithium-ion battery pack two years ago.

Tesla's third all-new model – the Model 3 mid-size sedan – will be revealed within months ahead of its global release in 2017.