Tesla’s third-quarter net income rose 17.3% compared with a year ago on stronger electric vehicle sales, and an optimistic CEO Elon Musk predicted 20% to 30% sales growth next year. The strong performance changed the trajectory of the year for the Austin,

The company said profits climbed 17 percent in the third quarter. It expects car sales to rise up to 30 percent next year when it plans to begin selling new models.

The surprise increase was the first since the electric-car maker’s earnings began to slide earlier this year as it turned to deep price cuts and other sales promotions to stimulate sales.