Tesla Inc.’s profitability shrank in the second quarter, showing the electric-vehicle maker’s industry-leading margins are being squeezed by months of price cuts.
The Elon Musk-led company on Wednesday reported gross margin of 18.2% in the quarter, below the 18.8% Wall Street had expected. Still, Tesla beat earnings and revenue expectations. Its profit, excluding some items, came to 91 cents a share, more than the 81 cents analysts estimated.
Tesla already said it delivered a record 466,140 cars in the period, spurred on by the price reductions that began earlier this year — a response to tighter household budgets and a wave of new EV competitors. Revenue rose 47% to $24.9 billion, Tesla said in a shareholder letter. Analysts had expected the company to generate $24.5 billion in sales.
