The Electric: Five Things Tesla Needs to Do—Now

In November, Tesla released its long-promised, Matrix-styled Cybertruck pickup, and two months later a refurbished Model 3 sedan that Motor Trend called “something to get excited about.” Next year, the company aims to release a new version of its high-end Roadster that CEO Elon Musk calls a cross between a car and a rocket ship. And in case anyone is worried about charging these vehicles, the company said it installed 1,363 new fast-charging ports in 35 states in the first quarter this year, taking the total to more than 22,000.

But on Tuesday, Tesla said it sold far fewer electric cars in the first quarter than it did in the same period last year, only its second year-over-year quarterly decline since 2012. Short of a miracle, Tesla sales will fall for the year as a whole and in 2025 too, unless it can fulfill Musk’s long-shot promise to launch and quickly ramp up production of the company’s planned $25,000 mainstream EV, popularly called the Model 2, in the second half of next year.