As Model 3 madness continues, Tesla Motors issued its first set of quarterly sales results for 2016.
During the first quarter—January through March—Tesla said it delivered 12,240 Model S sedans, plus 2,400 Model X crossovers.
That's lower than the 16,000 deliveries analysts had expected for the quarter.
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The Q1 total of 14,820 deliveries was down somewhat from the 17,400 deliveries (almost all Model S sedans) recorded in Q4 2015, something Tesla attributes to parts-supply issues with the Model X.
Tesla says it experienced "severe" Model X parts shortages in January and February, but has now resolved them.
Deliveries were up almost 50 percent from the same period last year, says Tesla, and orders received in January through March far exceed the number of cars delivered.
2016 Tesla Model X
Consequently, the company is standing by its guidance of 80,000 to 90,000 deliveries for 2016 as a whole.
Tesla claims Model X production reached 750 units per week by the last full week of March, but that was too late for many vehicles to be delivered to customers by the end of the quarter.
Tesla blames its own "hubris" in "adding far too much new technology to the Model X in version 1," as a main reason for the delays, as well as insufficient supplier validation, and lack of ability to manufacture the parts in question itself.
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Ahead of the Model X's unveiling last September, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the crossover's production ramp up would be much quicker than that of the Model S.
But the Model X has many features not shared with the Model S—from roof-hinged "Falcon" doors to a beefed-up climate control system—that make it more complex to manufacture.
Tesla was forced to switch suppliers for the "Falcon" doors' hinge mechanism when the original supplier couldn't deliver, and journalists still noted issues with the doors at the Model X launch event last fall.
2016 Tesla Model S P90D and Boeing 737 drag race
Tesla said the supply issue that slowed Model X production in Q1 affected only "half a dozen" parts, but declined to say what those parts were.
Model X production aside, though, Model S deliveries were down 4,952 units from Q4 2015.
MORE: Tesla Model X: Will Falcon Doors Be A ‘Killer App’ Or A Handicap? (Sep 2015)
Tesla notes this figure is still 45 percent higher than the same period last year, and it may be attributable to the winter doldrums that affect most car sales.
But if Tesla really did plan on delivering more Model X crossovers, it hints that the new model may be eating into Model S sales.
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