Tesla Quarterly Deliveries Set for Boost From Expiring EV Credit in US

By Akash Sriram
(Reuters) -Tesla is set to report its strongest quarter of the year on Thursday thanks to a U.S. rush to secure a $7,500 EV tax credit that expired earlier this week, but analysts expect the boost to be short-lived and European weakness to persist.
The quarterly tally will help gauge how far U.S. subsidies lifted sales, as China leans on Tesla’s expanded six-seater Model Y L launched in September while Europe slumped after the electric-vehicle maker’s aging lineup struggled to compete and CEO Elon Musk’s politics dampened buyer sentiment.
That has set the stage for weaker third-quarter global deliveries than last year and a potential drop in the December quarter.
The expiry of U.S. tax credits likely accelerated purchases that normally would have been made later in the year, rather than attracting new buyers to the brand, analysts said.
Musk had also cautioned in July that Tesla faces