Tesla delivered a record-breaking number of vehicles in the first quarter of 2022, despite supply chain issues and China's zero-COVID policy

• Tesla delivered a record-breaking 310,048 vehicles in Q1 — more than any previous quarter.
• Elon Musk said this quarter has been "exceptionally difficult" due to supply chain issues and COVID.

Tesla announced it delivered 310,048 vehicles in the first quarter of 2022, a record-breaking number that comes amid the global supply chain crisis and COVID-related factory closures.

The vast majority of Tesla's first quarter production and deliveries were the Model 3/Y. Only 14,724 of the delivered vehicles were Model S/X, the company reported on Saturday.

"This was an *exceptionally* difficult quarter due to supply chain interruptions & China zero Covid policy," Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted Saturday morning, adding that "key suppliers saved the day."

Tesla's first quarter delivery beat out the previous quarter and surpassed Wall Street estimates, Reuters reported. But even though the automaker managed to navigate some of the disruptions that have dogged other companies, the total number of cars produced by Tesla in Q1 did fall slightly compared to the previous quarter.

While supply-chain snafus have delayed deliveries across industries, Tesla's production continues to be challenged by COVID-19 closures.

Businesses across Shanghai are locking down as the Chinese government enforces its mass testing strategy. This includes Tesla's new Gigafactory in the city, which temporarily halted production earlier this week and was responsible for half of Tesla's global production last year.

Meanwhile, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has led to skyrocketing nickel prices, affecting both legacy car companies and EV startups. However, experts told Insider that Tesla's investment in its supply chain and nickel mines could allow it to dodge the worst of the price hikes.