Tesla vehicle deliveries slip in the second quarter

Tesla Motors shipped fewer autos to customers in the last three months, making it unlikely to meet prior expectations for delivering 80,000 to 90,000 vehicles this year. The Palo Alto maker of electric autos said Sunday that it delivered 14,370 vehicles in the April to June quarter, a decline of 450 vehicles from the first quarter that Tesla attributed to an "extreme production ramp up" and a number of custom-ordered vehicles still being shipped. Tesla said it anticipates delivering 50,000 vehicles in the second half of the year. Although that second-half target would match its vehicle deliveries for all of 2015, it would still be just shy of the guidance provided by the company in April. The revised expectations arrive at a delicate moment for Tesla, which has excited drivers and investors alike by the promise of gasoline-free autos and drummed up significant hype over its upcoming Model 3, pitched as an electric car for the masses.