Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk hit back at critics on Monday as the EV giant outsold all of its rivals in the U.S. domestic market during the first quarter of 2026.
Tesla’s Q1 U.S. Sales
In a post on the social media platform X on Monday, influencer Sawyer Merritt shared sales figures for almost all EVs available in the U.S. market, citing Cox Automotive data. The post shared how Tesla’s Model Y and Model 3 remained at the top of the sales charts with over 101,000 sales combined in the first quarter.
They were followed by Toyota Motor Corp‘s (NYSE:TM) bZ at 10,029 units and Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd.‘s (OTC:HYMLF) Ioniq 5 EV at 9,790 units. General Motors Co.’s (NYSE:GM) Chevrolet Equinox EV, Rivian Automotive Inc.‘s (NASDAQ:RIVN) R1S and Ford Motor Co.’s (NYSE:F) Mustang Mach-E followed with 9,589 units, 5,494 units and 4,600 units, respectively. The Tesla Cybertruck and Cadillac Lyriq sold 3,519 and 3,370 units each.
Elon Musk Hits Back At Critics
Musk took to the social media platform X, hitting back at critics of the EV giant. “What happened to all the Tesla killers that legacy press and hedge fund short sellers predicted were coming?” He said, quoting a post by user Captain Eli, who said that Tesla sold over 117,300 EVs in the U.S., exceeding the combined 99,099 EVs sold by rivals during the same period.
Tesla’s Chinese Sales Go Down
The news comes as Tesla’s retail sales in China fell over 16% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026 despite an increase in its Wholsale figures in the market. Tesla reported a 24.3% drop in its Chinese retail sales during March, selling over 56,107 units compared to the 74,127 vehicles it sold last year during the same period.
Tesla had delivered over 358,000 units during the first quarter of 2026, which had missed market expectations. Interestingly, the automaker also produced close to 408,000 units during the same period. The gap between units produced and sold illustrated a surplus of more than 50,000 Tesla vehicles sitting unsold in the company's lots.
Tesla’s Model S, X Purchase Clause
The automaker has included a clause in the purchase agreement for the Model S and Model X customers that will bar them from selling their vehicles within a year of buying the vehicle. Tesla shared that it must be notified by customers who want to sell the ‘Signature’ edition of the vehicles, should there be any “unforeseen” circumstances.
Refusing to abide by the clause could result in Tesla seeking “injunctive relief” and demanding over $50,000 or “the value received as consideration for the sale or transfer, whichever is greater.”
According to Benzinga Edge Rankings, Tesla offers satisfactory Growth, but fails to provide a favorable price trend in the short, medium, and long term.
Price Action: TSLA surged 0.99% to $352.42 at market close on Monday, further surging 0.26% to $353.33 during the after-hours trading session.
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