Tesla’s output slowed to 77,100 vehicles in the 1st quarter

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Tesla’s assembly lines slowed down during a rocky start to the new year, which will likely magnify nagging doubts about whether the electric car pioneer will be able to make the leap into mass market.

The Palo Alto, California, company churned out 77,100 vehicles from January to March, well behind the pace that Tesla must sustain to fulfill CEO Elon Musk’s pledge to manufacture 500,000 cars annually.

The first-quarter production figures announced late Wednesday lagged the 86,555 vehicles that Tesla manufactured during the final three months of last year when the company was scrambling to make more cars.