Tesla’s solar deployments plummet 48% amid ‘import delays’

Tesla Inc.’s solar deployments fell by 48% as import challenges held up deliveries of some components.

The electric automaker deployed 48 megawatts of solar in the first quarter, it said Wednesday. That’s down from 92 megawatts in the same period a year earlier and 85 megawatts in the fourth quarter.

The solar industry has faced a bevy of logistics constraints and trade obstacles in the past year. A key reason is that most panels installed in the U.S. are imported from Southeast Asia. The solar woes add to other supply-chain challenges elsewhere in Tesla’s business.

“This reduction was caused by import delays beyond our control on certain solar components,” Tesla said in its earnings statement. It didn’t specify which components were affected.