The strong finish to the year comes after Tesla saw its deliveries decline in the third quarter for the first time in a year, owing to some factory shutdowns — something that impaired CEO Elon Musk's loftier goal of building 2 million cars this year. The company spent much of the year tinkering with its prices, starting with big price cuts, which has taken a huge bite out of its industry-leading profit margins. Tesla's big year is also due in large part to the company's success in China, where competition for market share is becoming fierce due to waves of price cuts from competitors.