---
title: "Elon Musk Says Demand for Tesla Outpaces Production Ability Following Giant Order"
description: "## Tall Order"
date: "2022-08-14"
modified: "2022-08-14"
authors:
  - name: "Lonnie Lee Hood"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/ahood"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-tesla-production-order"
categories:
  - "Advanced Transport"
  - "Elon Musk"
  - "Future Society"
  - "Tesla"
  - "The Industrialists"
tags:
  - "electric vehicles"
  - "elon musk"
  - "tesla"
  - "the digest"
---

# Elon Musk Says Demand for Tesla Outpaces Production Ability Following Giant Order

![Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Twitter that Tesla demand outpaces production ability after startup Autonomy ordered thousands of EVs from auto manufacturers.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/elon-musk-tesla-production-order.png>)
*\<em\>Image: Getty / Futurism \</em\>*

## Tall Order

Last week, US-based electric vehicle subscription startup Autonomy announced it would order a total of 23,000 EVs from multiple auto makers.

The order cost more than $1 billion, and Tesla came out with the top share. Autonomy ordered 4,300 EVs from Tesla, which will cost just more than $443 million. On Tuesday, [*Bloomberg* reported](<https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-09/tesla-gm-ford-evs-included-in-1-2-billion-order-from-startup?fbclid=IwAR3LZDT8ktDMLQvrIutZAWPcYUu-W4w4o3c7BRfU-K9qy5ByagTgAdUYPLQ&sref=YfHlo0rL>) the Autonomy order is set to soak up 1.2 percent of all electric vehicles made in the US next year.

That's a lot of cars, and it may have Tesla's [controversial CEO Elon Musk](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-weed-joe-rogan-test-drug-addict>) a little worried. When a Tesla fan club account asked Musk on Twitter what he thought of the order, [the would've-been Twitter king](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-officially-giving-up-on-buying-twitter>) immediately predicted some limitations.

"Production is a much bigger challenge than demand," [Musk said online yesterday](<https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1558666335265103874?s=20&t=dxqamapeNWdM2eT5L8oZhQ>).

## Trouble In Paradise

Musk isn't wrong.

Even *Bloomberg* called out [the current chip shortage](<https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/semiconductors/our-insights/semiconductor-shortage-how-the-automotive-industry-can-succeed>) that's causing vehicle production backlogs. Although not specifically mentioned in that report, there are other [ongoing supply chain shortages](<https://www.autonews.com/suppliers/auto-industry-craving-greater-supply-chain-visibility>) that could also impact auto makers on the list.

Even though it's partially not his fault, Musk is in a hard place. Last week [he had to sell off nearly $7 billion](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-sells-7-billion-tesla-shares-twitter>) in Tesla stock shares to avoid the $1 billion fee he'll get slapped with for not buying Twitter, and that's after some [Tesla investors were already pissed](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-investor-circus-show>) he'd been playing dangerous games with the brand's reputation.

Autonomy's subscription service sounds really cool — although it's not clear yet how much it will cost. Its success, and increased EV adoption, however, both rely on our ability to manufacture the cars in the first place.

**More on Musk's shenanigans:** [*Tesla Defenders Describe How They Got "Hooked" on Elon Musk*](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-elon-fans-hooked>)