Could Tesla’s electric vehicle deliveries soar 85% this year?

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) was up against some significant headwinds last year. Not only did the automaker face tough year-ago comparisons when soaring Model 3 deliveries led to 50% growth in vehicle deliveries, but it had to pause manufacturing in the spring of 2020 as it dealt with lockdowns related to COVID-19. Yet the electric vehicle maker still managed to grow vehicle deliveries 36% for the year.

Though Tesla’s 2020 performance was impressive, it might look modest in comparison to the automaker’s 2021 sales. The current consensus estimate for Tesla’s vehicle deliveries this year is 850,000 units, up from about 500,000…