Analyst: New Products Key To Tesla Motors Inc. Production Goals

Tesla Motors Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) is aiming for 2014 production equal to that posted for electric vehicles from Nissan Motor Co. (OTCM: NSANY), an analyst said Wednesday.Tesla is slated to post earnings after the bell, was off 2.5 percent recently, changing hands at $210.88Kelley Blue Book's Karl Brauer said Tesla has said it expects total 2014 production of about 33,00 units -- close to the number of Nissan Leafs sold in 2014."Which brand will claim the most electric vehicle sales in 2014, Nissan or Tesla?" said Brauer.Other potential aspects of Tesla's upcoming report highlighted by Brauer include the company's faltering performance in China and timing updates on the launch of the company's Model X.Brauer, whose employer Kelley Blue Book compiles vehicle pricing information and is a unit of privately held Cox Enterprises, said Tesla needs to launch the Model X to take advantage of demand for sports utility vehicles.Also key to cracking the SUV market for Tesla is the pending launch of its Model 3, "which is the real volume play for Tesla," Brauer said. "A delay in one likely means a delay in the other, and if Tesla wants to hit the volume numbers Elon Musk is claiming over the next five years, he needs both vehicles on sale ASAP,"Brauer said.Tesla shares are off nearly 20 percent in the past six months amid questions related to falling oil prices and its strategy for sales in China.Wall Street analysts on average expect Tesla to post adjusted earnings of $0.31 cents a share on sales of $1.23 billion.Jake Mann and Brianna Valleskey contributed to this report.