Tesla delivered 310,048 vehicles in the quarter, a slight increase from the previous quarter, and up 68% from a year earlier. Wall Street had expected deliveries of 308,836 cars, according to Refinitiv data.

Tesla produced 305,407 vehicles from January to March, down from 305,840 the previous quarter.

Tesla, the world's most valuable automaker, has navigated the pandemic and supply chain disruptions better than rivals and its new Shanghai factory has been driving growth.

But a recent spike in Covid-19 cases in China has forced Tesla to temporarily suspend production at the Shanghai factory for several days in March and April as the city locks down to test residents for the disease. 

The deliveries were "better than feared given supply chain issues," said Daniel Ives, an analyst at Wedbush, in a report.

Tesla said it sold a total of 295,324 Model 3 sedans and Model Y sport utility vehicles, while it delivered 14,724 Model S luxury sedans and Model X premium SUVs.

Skyrocketing petrol prices spurred by the Ukraine crisis is expected to fuel demand for electric cars, but lack of inventory and higher vehicle prices would weigh on sales, analysts said.

Tesla in March raised prices in China and the US after Mr Musk said the US electric carmaker was facing significant inflationary pressure in raw materials and logistics after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"Impressive (deliveries) given all the headwinds," Gene Munster, managing partner at venture capital firm Loup Ventures, said, adding he expected Tesla to continue outperforming other automakers in sales growth.

Toyota, GM, and Hyundai Motor last week reported lower first-quarter US sales than a year earlier. 

Reuters