Tesla (TSLA) 10-Q5 Nov 152015 Q3 Quarterly reportFinancial data

Company Profile

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information - shares	9 Months Ended
Document and Entity Information - shares	Sep. 30, 2015	Oct. 29, 2015
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]
Document Type	10-Q
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Sep. 30, 2015
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2,015
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q3
Trading Symbol	TSLA
Entity Registrant Name	TESLA MOTORS INC
Entity Central Index Key	1,318,605
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		130,951,319

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Un

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 1,426,036	$ 1,905,713
Restricted cash and marketable securities	25,223	17,947
Accounts receivable	119,964	226,604
Inventory	1,293,717	953,675
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	133,855	94,718
Total current assets	2,998,795	3,198,657
Operating lease vehicles, net	1,360,725	766,744
Property, plant and equipment, net	3,103,811	1,829,267
Restricted cash	26,355	11,374
Other assets	57,811	43,209
Total assets	7,547,497	5,849,251
Current liabilities
Accounts payable	824,861	777,946
Accrued liabilities	373,859	268,884
Deferred revenue	348,117	191,651
Capital lease obligations	13,000	9,532
Resale value guarantees	85,580
Customer deposits	269,545	257,587
Convertible senior notes and other debt	638,809	601,566
Total current liabilities	2,553,771	2,107,166
Capital lease obligations	15,033	12,267
Deferred revenue	362,261	292,271
Convertible senior notes and other debt	1,966,361	1,806,518
Resale value guarantees	952,729	487,879
Other long-term liabilities	336,505	173,244
Total liabilities	$ 6,186,660	$ 4,879,345
Commitments and contingencies (Note 10)
Convertible senior notes (Notes 8)	$ 46,181	$ 58,196
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock; $0.001 par value; 100,000 shares authorized; no shares issued and outstanding
Common stock; $0.001 par value; 2,000,000 shares authorized as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014; 130,901 and 125,688 shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014	$ 131	$ 126
Additional paid-in capital	3,340,436	2,345,266
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(23,985)	(22)
Accumulated deficit	(2,001,926)	(1,433,660)
Total stockholders' equity	1,314,656	911,710
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ 7,547,497	$ 5,849,251

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Pa

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Statement Of Financial Position [Abstract]
Preferred stock par value	$ 0.001	$ 0.001
Preferred stock shares authorized	100,000,000	100,000,000
Preferred stock shares issued	0	0
Preferred stock shares outstanding	0	0
Common stock par value	$ 0.001	$ 0.001
Common stock shares authorized	2,000,000,000	2,000,000,000
Common stock shares issued	130,901,000	125,688,000
Common stock shares outstanding	130,901,000	125,688,000

Consolidated Statements of Oper

Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Revenues
Automotive	$ 852,555	$ 799,915	$ 2,623,965	$ 2,116,616
Services and other	84,234	51,889	207,680	125,079
Total revenues	936,789	851,804	2,831,645	2,241,695
Cost of revenues
Automotive	628,729	552,987	1,926,860	1,509,052
Services and other	76,564	46,966	199,846	112,669
Total cost of revenues	705,293	599,953	2,126,706	1,621,721
Gross profit	231,496	251,851	704,939	619,974
Operating expenses
Research and development	178,791	135,873	527,657	325,135
Selling, general and administrative	236,367	155,107	633,578	406,690
Total operating expenses	415,158	290,980	1,161,235	731,825
Loss from operations	(183,662)	(39,129)	(456,296)	(111,851)
Interest income	327	300	758	907
Interest expense	(29,308)	(29,062)	(80,234)	(72,183)
Other income (expense), net	(15,431)	(3,090)	(24,503)	2,401
Loss before income taxes	(228,074)	(70,981)	(560,275)	(180,726)
Provision for income taxes	1,784	3,727	7,991	5,685
Net loss	$ (229,858)	$ (74,708)	$ (568,266)	$ (186,411)
Net loss per share of common stock, basic and diluted	$ (1.78)	$ (0.60)	$ (4.47)	$ (1.50)
Weighted average shares used in computing net loss per share of common stock, basic and diluted	129,006	124,911	127,225	124,217

Consolidated Statements of Comp

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Statement Of Income And Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net loss	$ (229,858)	$ (74,708)	$ (568,266)	$ (186,411)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Unrealized net gain on short-term marketable securities	11		219
Foreign currency translation adjustment	(9,192)		(24,182)
Other comprehensive loss	(9,181)		(23,963)
Comprehensive loss	$ (239,039)	$ (74,708)	$ (592,229)	$ (186,411)

Consolidated Statements of Cash

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Cash Flows From Operating Activities
Net loss	$ (568,266)	$ (186,411)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	278,867	163,955
Stock-based compensation	142,359	111,980
Amortization of discount on convertible debt	51,376	55,634
Inventory write-downs	23,303	14,495
Fixed asset disposals	8,800	11,052
Other non-cash operating activities	11,011	4,503
Foreign currency transaction (gain) loss	35,583	(2,707)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
Accounts receivable	78,373	(109,172)
Inventories and operating lease vehicles	(1,091,382)	(672,663)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(35,962)	(29,517)
Other assets	(14,297)	(5,671)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	89,238	253,895
Deferred revenue	186,255	142,494
Customer deposits	20,314	71,143
Resale value guarantee	249,548	161,782
Other long-term liabilities	40,230	44,273
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(494,650)	29,065
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Purchases of property and equipment excluding capital leases	(1,223,628)	(601,224)
Purchases of short-term marketable securities		(205,831)
Maturities of short-term marketable securities		189,131
Business acquisition	(12,260)
Increase in other restricted cash	(23,383)	(289)
Net cash used in investing activities	(1,259,271)	(618,213)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities
Collateralized lease borrowing	359,951
Proceeds from issuance of common stock in public offerings	750,000
Proceeds from issuance of convertible and other debt	183,972	2,300,000
Proceeds from exercise of stock options and other stock issuances	94,026	89,925
Principal payments on capital leases and other debt	(72,906)	(8,702)
Common stock and debt issuance costs	(16,558)	(35,150)
Proceeds from issuance of warrants		389,160
Purchase of convertible note hedges		(603,428)
Net cash provided by financing activities	1,298,485	2,131,805
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(24,241)	(17,811)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(479,677)	1,542,657
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	1,905,713	845,889
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	1,426,036	2,370,735
Supplemental noncash investing activities
Acquisition of property and equipment included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities	313,850	190,677
Estimated fair value of facilities under build-to-suit lease	$ 64,552	$ 21,276

Overview of the Company

Overview of the Company	9 Months Ended
Overview of the Company	Sep. 30, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Overview of the Company	Note 1 - Overview of the Company Tesla Motors, Inc. (Tesla, we, us or our) was incorporated in the state of Delaware on July 1, 2003. We design, develop, manufacture and sell high-performance fully electric vehicles, advanced electric vehicle powertrain components, and Tesla Energy products. We have wholly-owned subsidiaries in North America, Europe and Asia. The primary purpose of these subsidiaries is to market, manufacture, sell and/or service our vehicles and Tesla Energy products. Public Offerings In August 2015, we completed a public offering of common stock and sold a total of 3,099,173 shares of our common stock for total cash proceeds of approximately $738.3 million (which includes 82,645 shares or $20.0 million sold to Elon Musk, our Chief Executive Officer (CEO)), net of underwriting discounts and offering costs.

Summary of Significant Accounti

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	Sep. 30, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Basis of Consolidation The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Tesla and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. Intercompany balances and transactions between consolidated entities have been eliminated. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent liabilities and accompanying notes. Estimates are used for, but not limited to, determining the selling price of products and services in multiple element revenue arrangements and determining the amortization period of these elements Unaudited Interim Financial Statements The accompanying consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2015, the consolidated statements of operations and consolidated statements of comprehensive loss for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 and the consolidated statements of cash flows for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, and other information disclosed in the related notes are unaudited. The consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2014, was derived from our audited consolidated financial statements at that date. The accompanying consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes contained in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The accompanying interim consolidated financial statements and related disclosures have been prepared on the same basis as the annual consolidated financial statements and, in the opinion of management, reflect all adjustments, which include only normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the results of operations for the periods presented. The consolidated results of operations for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year or for any other future year or interim period. Beginning in the three months ended March 31, 2015, we changed the composition of the revenue and cost of revenue lines in our consolidated statement of operations. Automotive revenues includes revenues related to deliveries of new vehicles, including customer selected options, data connectivity, Supercharger access, vehicle software upgrades, sales of regulatory credits to other automotive manufacturers, amortization of revenue for cars sold with resale value guarantees, and vehicle leasing revenue. Services and other revenues consists of vehicle service income, sales of electric vehicle powertrain components and systems to other manufacturers, maintenance and development services income, Tesla Energy product sales, and pre-owned Tesla vehicle sales. Prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. Beginning January 1, 2015, the functional currency of each of our foreign subsidiaries changed to their local country’s currency. This change was based on the culmination of facts and circumstances that have developed as we expanded our foreign operations over the past year. The adjustment of $10.0 million attributable to the current rate translation of non-monetary assets as of the date of the change is included in accumulated other comprehensive loss on our consolidated balance sheet. Recent Accounting Pronouncements In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued an accounting update which amends the existing accounting standards for revenue recognition. The new guidance provides a new model to determine when and over what period revenue is recognized. Under this new model, revenue is recognized as goods or services are delivered in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to collect. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017; early adoption is permitted for periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The new standard is required to be applied retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented or retrospectively with the cumulative effect of initially applying it recognized at the date of initial application. We have not yet selected a transition method and are evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance. Revenue Recognition We recognize revenue when: (i) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; (ii) delivery has occurred and there are no uncertainties regarding customer acceptance; (iii) fees are fixed or determinable; and (iv) collection is reasonably assured. Vehicle sales include certain standard features, customer selected options and accessories and specific other elements that meet the definition of a deliverable under multiple-element accounting guidance including internet connectivity, free access to our Supercharger network, and future over the air software updates. These deliverables are valued on a stand-alone basis and we recognize their revenue over our performance period, which is generally the life of the car. If we sell a deliverable separately, we use that pricing to determine its fair value; otherwise, we use our best estimated selling price by considering third party pricing of similar options, costs used to develop and deliver the service, and other information which may be available. As of September 30, 2015, we had deferred $50.3 million, $40.1 million, $23.4 million, and $11.6 million related to the purchase of vehicle maintenance and service plans, access to our Supercharger network, internet connectivity, and future software upgrades. As of December 31, 2014, we had deferred $39.7 million, $25.6 million, $14.4 million, and $1.5 million related to these same performance obligations. Resale Value Guarantees and Other Financing Programs We offer resale value guarantees or similar buy-back terms to all customers who purchase vehicles in the US, Canada, European and Asian markets and who finance their vehicle through one of our specified commercial banking partners. Under these programs, customers have the option of selling their vehicle back to us during the guarantee period for a pre-determined resale value. Guarantee periods generally range from 36 to 39 months. Although we receive full payment for the vehicle sales price at the time of delivery, we account for these sales as operating leases and recognize revenue attributable to the lease on a straight-line basis over the guarantee period to automotive revenue. The amount of sale proceeds equal to the residual value guarantee is deferred until the guarantee expires or is exercised. The guarantee period expires at the earlier of the end of the stated guarantee period or the pay-off date of the initial loan. We capitalize the cost of the leased vehicle and depreciate its value, less expected salvage value, to cost of automotive revenue over the same period. In cases when a customer retains ownership of a vehicle at the end of the guarantee period, the resale value guarantee liability and any remaining deferred revenue balances related to the vehicle are settled to automotive revenue and the net book value of the leased vehicle is expensed to costs of automotive revenue. In cases when a customer returns the vehicle back to us during the guarantee period, we purchase the vehicle from the customer in an amount equal to the resale value guarantee and settle any remaining deferred revenue balance to automotive revenue. As of September 30, 2015, $85.6 million of the resale value guarantee liability relates to guarantees that are exercisable by customers within the next twelve months. In the fourth quarter of 2014, we also began offering residual value guarantees in connection with automobile sales to certain bank leasing partners. As we have guaranteed the value of these vehicles and as the vehicles are leased to end-customers, we account for receipt of cash from our bank leasing partners as collateralized borrowings. As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, we had $321.7 million and $19.6 million of such borrowings recorded in resale value guarantee and $73.9 million and $0 million recorded in deferred revenue liability, of which a portion will be accreted to revenue and a portion may be distributed to the bank leasing partner should we repurchase the vehicles at the end of the term or should the bank sell the car to a third party and receive proceeds less than the value we have guaranteed. The maximum cash payment to re-purchase these vehicles under these arrangements at September 30, 2015, is $210.0 million. Cash received upon the sale of such cars, net of revenue recognized during the period, is classified as collateralized lease borrowing within cash flows from financing activities in our consolidated statement of cash flows. Account activity related to our resale value guarantee program consisted of the following for the periods presented (in thousands): Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, 2015 September 30, 2015 Operating Lease Vehicles Operating lease vehicles—beginning of period $ 962,737 $ 684,590 Net increase in operating lease vehicles 257,338 605,529 Depreciation expense recorded in cost of automotive revenues (33,463 ) (82,456 ) Additional depreciation expense recorded in cost of automotive revenues as a result of early cancellation of resale value guarantee (3,646 ) (13,101 ) Increases to inventory from vehicles returned under our trade-in program (4,892 ) (16,488 ) Operating lease vehicles—end of period $ 1,178,074 $ 1,178,074 Deferred Revenue Deferred revenue—beginning of period $ 482,573 $ 381,096 Net increase in deferred revenue from new vehicle deliveries and reclassification of collateralized borrowing from long-term to short-term 137,820 344,351 Amortization of deferred revenue and short-term collateralized borrowing recorded in automotive revenue (65,895 ) (158,843 ) Additional revenue recorded in automotive revenue as a result of early cancellation of resale value guarantee (2,680 ) (9,295 ) Recognition of deferred revenue resulting from return of vehicle under trade-in program (1,723 ) (7,214 ) Deferred revenue—end of period $ 550,095 $ 550,095 Resale Value Guarantee Resale value guarantee liability—beginning of period $ 793,177 $ 487,879 Net increase in resale value guarantee 260,760 585,069 Reclassification from long-term to short-term collateralized borrowing (9,463 ) (13,850 ) Additional revenue recorded in automotive revenue as a result of early cancellation of resale value guarantee (2,356 ) (8,299 ) Release of resale value guarantee resulting from return of vehicle under trade-in program (3,808 ) (12,489 ) Resale value guarantee liability—end of period $ 1,038,310 $ 1,038,310 Vehicle Leasing Program We offer a leasing program in the United States and Canada for Model S. Qualifying customers are permitted to lease a Model S directly from Tesla for 36 months. At the end of the lease term, customers have the option of either returning the vehicle to us or purchasing it for a pre-determined residual value. We account for these leasing transactions as operating leases and recognize leasing revenues over the contractual term and record the depreciation of these vehicles to cost of automotive revenues. As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, we had deferred $22.6 million and $9.4 million of lease-related upfront payments which will be recognized on a straight-line basis over the contractual term of the individual leases. Lease revenues are recorded in automotive revenue and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, we recognized $11.5 million and $27.4 million. Lease revenue for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 was $1.1 million and $1.3 million. Warranties We provide a manufacturer’s warranty on all vehicles, production powertrain components and systems, and Tesla Energy products we sell. We accrue a manufacturer’s warranty reserve which includes our best estimate of the projected costs to repair or to replace items under warranty. These estimates are based on actual claims incurred to-date and an estimate of the nature, frequency and costs of future claims. These estimates are inherently uncertain and changes to our historical or projected warranty experience may cause material changes to our warranty reserve in the future. The portion of the warranty provision expected to be incurred within 12 months is classified as current within accrued liabilities, while the remaining amount is classified as long-term within other long-term liabilities. Accrued warranty activity consisted of the following for the periods presented (in thousands): Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2015 2014 2015 2014 Accrued warranty—beginning of period $ 164,595 $ 84,371 $ 129,043 $ 53,183 Warranty costs incurred (21,593 ) (11,179 ) (50,666 ) (29,750 ) Net changes in liability for pre-existing warranties, including expirations 1,306 14,609 12,635 24,270 Provision for warranty 26,026 25,934 79,322 66,032 Accrued warranty—end of period $ 170,334 $ 113,735 $ 170,334 $ 113,735 Our warranty reserves do not include projected warranty costs associated with our vehicles accounted for as operating leases or collateralized debt arrangements. Costs to repair these vehicles are expensed as incurred. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, warranty costs incurred for vehicles accounted for as operating leases or collateralized debt arrangements were $1.8 million and $6.0 million, and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, costs were $2.1 million and $5.1 million. Warranty expense is recorded as a component of cost of automotive revenue. Cost of automotive revenue during the nine months ended September 30, 2015 included a $12.6 million increase to our warranty reserve to reflect the additional preventative repairs we plan to perform on customer drive units and high-voltage battery packs when brought in for warranty related service. Inventory Valuation We value our inventories at the lower of cost or market. Inventories are recorded at cost on a first-in, first-out basis. We record inventory write-downs when we have amounts of inventory that are in excess of our planned production or where inventory has become obsolete to our production requirements. We also review inventory to determine whether its carrying value exceeds the net amount realizable upon the ultimate sale of the inventory. This requires us to determine the estimated selling price of our vehicles less the estimated cost to convert inventory on hand into a finished product. Should our estimates of future selling prices or production costs change, material changes to these reserves may be required. A change in our estimates may result in a material charge to our reported financial results. Concentration of Risk Credit Risk Financial instruments that potentially subject us to a concentration of credit risk consist of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and accounts receivable. Our cash equivalents are primarily invested in money market funds with high credit quality financial institutions in the United States. At times, these deposits and securities may be in excess of insured limits. We invest cash not required for use in operations in high credit quality securities based on our investment policy. Our investment policy provides guidelines and limits regarding credit quality, investment concentration, investment type, and maturity that we believe will provide liquidity while reducing risk of loss of capital. Our investments are currently of a short-term nature and include U.S. treasury bills. As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, our accounts receivable were derived primarily from amounts to be received from financial institutions and leasing companies offering various financing products to our customers, sales of regulatory credits, as well as the development and sales of powertrain components and systems to automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). As of September 30, 2015, we have two customers who individually account for 10% and 9% of our accounts receivable. Supply Risk Although there may be multiple suppliers available, many of the components used in our vehicles are purchased by us from a single source. If these single source suppliers fail to satisfy our requirements on a timely basis at competitive prices, we could suffer manufacturing delays, a possible loss of revenues, or incur higher cost of sales, any of which could adversely affect our operating results. Stock-Based Compensation We use the fair value method of accounting for our stock options and restricted stock units (RSUs) granted to employees and our Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) to measure the cost of employee services received in exchange for the stock-based awards. The fair value of stock options and ESPP are estimated on the grant date and offering date using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The fair value of RSUs is measured on the grant date based on the closing fair market value of our common stock. The resulting cost is recognized over the service period which is generally four years for stock options and RSUs and six months for the ESPP. Stock-based compensation expense is recognized on a straight-line basis, net of estimated forfeitures. Net Loss per Share of Common Stock Our basic and diluted net loss per share of common stock is calculated by dividing net loss by the weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding for the period. Potentially dilutive shares, which are based on the number of shares underlying outstanding stock options and warrants as well as our convertible senior notes, are not included when their effect is antidilutive. The following table presents the potential weighted common shares outstanding that were excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share of common stock for the periods presented. Anti-dilutive share counts for the twelve months ended December 31, 2014 have been updated. Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2015 2014 2015 2014 2014 Employee share based awards 14,917,083 13,852,307 15,426,144 14,048,245 14,729,749 Convertible senior notes 2,710,738 2,633,925 2,454,778 2,294,291 2,344,998 Warrants issued May 2013 1,463,838 1,350,038 1,084,627 846,860 921,985 Since we expect to settle the principal amount of our outstanding convertible senior notes in cash, we use the treasury stock method for calculating any potential dilutive effect of the conversion spread on diluted net income per share, if applicable. The conversion spread will have a dilutive impact on diluted net income per share of common stock when the average market price of our common stock for a given period exceeds the conversion price of $124.52, $359.87 and $359.87 per share for the convertible senior notes due 2018 (2018 Notes), convertible senior notes due 2019 (2019 Notes), and convertible senior notes due 2021 (2021 Notes). Income Taxes There are transactions that occur during the ordinary course of business for which the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the aggregate balances of our gross unrecognized tax benefits were $64.0 million and $41.4 million. $60.8 million and $39.1 million of these aggregate balances would not give rise to changes in our effective tax rate since these tax benefits would increase a deferred tax asset which is currently offset by a full valuation allowance.

Fair Value of Financial Instrum

Fair Value of Financial Instruments	9 Months Ended
Fair Value of Financial Instruments	Sep. 30, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value of Financial Instruments	Note 3 - Fair Value of Financial Instruments The carrying values of our financial instruments including cash equivalents, marketable securities, accounts receivable and accounts payable approximate their fair value due to their short-term nature. As a basis for determining the fair value of certain of our assets and liabilities, we established a three-tier fair value hierarchy which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows: (Level I) observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets; (Level II) inputs other than the quoted prices in active markets that are observable either directly or indirectly; and (Level III) unobservable inputs in which there is little or no market data which requires us to develop our own assumptions. This hierarchy requires us to use observable market data, when available, and to minimize the use of unobservable inputs when determining fair value. Our financial assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis consist of cash equivalents and marketable securities. All of our cash equivalents and current restricted cash, which are comprised primarily of money market funds, are classified within Level I of the fair value hierarchy because they are valued using quoted market prices or market prices for similar securities. Our restricted short-term marketable securities are classified within Level I of the fair value hierarchy. As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the fair value hierarchy for our financial assets that are carried at fair value was as follows (in thousands), and unrealized gains (losses) on all financial assets for all periods presented were less than $1.0 million: September 30, 2015 December 31, 2014 Fair Value Level I Level II Level III Fair Value Level I Level II Level Money market funds $ 617,350 $ 617,350 $ — $ — $ 1,275,346 $ 1,275,346 $ — $ — U.S. treasury bills 16,673 16,673 — — 16,673 16,673 — — Total $ 634,023 $ 634,023 $ — $ — $ 1,292,019 $ 1,292,019 $ — $ — As of September 30, 2015, the estimated fair value of our 2018 Notes, 2019 Notes, and 2021 Notes was $1.35 billion (par value $659.8 million), $890.1 million (par value $920.0 million), and $1.30 billion (par value $1.38 billion). As of December 31, 2014 the estimated fair value of our 2018 Notes, 2019 Notes, and 2021 Notes was $1.22 billion (par value $659.8 million), $852.2 million (par value $920.0 million), and $1.25 billion (par value $1.38 billion). These fair values represent Level II valuations. When determining the estimated fair value of our long-term debt, we used a commonly accepted valuation methodology and market-based risk measurements that are indirectly observable, such as credit risk. As of September 30, 2015, the $124.4 million carrying value of our Warehouse Facility liability approximates the fair value of the borrowings based upon the borrowing rate available to us for debt with similar terms and consideration of credit and default risk using Level II inputs.

Inventory

Inventory	9 Months Ended
Inventory	Sep. 30, 2015
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Inventory	Note 4 - Inventory As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, our inventory consisted of the following (in thousands): September 30, December 31, 2015 2014 Raw materials $ 393,691 $ 392,292 Work in process 86,587 56,114 Finished goods 692,437 397,318 Service parts 121,002 107,951 Total $ 1,293,717 $ 953,675 Finished goods inventory includes vehicles in transit to fulfill customer orders, new vehicles available for immediate sale at our retail and service center locations, and pre-owned Tesla vehicles. The increase in finished goods inventory was primarily due to customer orders that were in transit for delivery at quarter-end.

Property, Plant, and Equipment

Property, Plant, and Equipment	9 Months Ended
Property, Plant, and Equipment	Sep. 30, 2015
Property Plant And Equipment [Abstract]
Property, Plant and Equipment	Note 5 - Property, Plant and Equipment As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, our property, plant and equipment consisted of the following (in thousands): September 30, December 31, 2015 2014 Machinery, equipment and office furniture $ 1,519,415 $ 720,746 Construction in progress 747,046 572,125 Leasehold improvements 320,863 230,270 Tooling 439,415 295,906 Building and building improvements 336,212 154,362 Computer equipment and software 153,396 98,970 Land 60,233 49,478 3,576,580 2,121,857 Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization (472,769 ) (292,590 ) Total $ 3,103,811 $ 1,829,267 Construction in progress is comprised primarily of tooling and equipment related to the manufacturing of our Model S and Model X vehicles, Gigafactory construction, and related capitalized interest. Completed assets are transferred to their respective asset class and depreciation begins when the asset is ready for its intended use. Interest expense on outstanding debt is capitalized during the period of significant capital asset construction. Capitalized interest on construction in progress is included in property, plant and equipment, and is amortized over the life of the related assets. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, we capitalized $11.8 million and $32.4 million of interest expense. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, we capitalized $3.7 million and $6.9 million of interest expense. We are sometimes involved in construction at our leased facilities primarily related to retail stores, service centers, and certain manufacturing facilities. In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification 840, Leases Depreciation and amortization expense during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 was $71.8 million and $184.7 million. Depreciation and amortization expense during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 was $40.2 million and $105.1 million. Total property and equipment assets under capital lease as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014 were $49.7 million and $33.4 million. Accumulated depreciation related to assets under capital lease as of these dates were $19.4 million and $12.8 million. We have acquired land for the site of our Gigafactory and have incurred $261.0 million of construction costs as of September 30, 2015.

Accrued Liabilities

Accrued Liabilities	9 Months Ended
Accrued Liabilities	Sep. 30, 2015
Payables And Accruals [Abstract]
Accrued Liabilities	Note 6 - Accrued Liabilities As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, our accrued liabilities consisted of the following (in thousands): September 30 December 31, 2015 2014 Taxes payable $ 64,129 $ 71,229 Accrued purchases 154,604 68,547 Payroll and related costs 79,473 54,492 Warranty and other 75,653 74,616 Total $ 373,859 $ 268,884 Taxes payable includes Value Added Tax, sales tax, property tax, and income tax payables. Accrued purchases reflects liabilities related to the construction of the Gigafactory, and engineering design and testing accruals. As these services are invoiced, this balance will reduce and accounts payable will increase.

Customer Deposits

Customer Deposits	9 Months Ended
Customer Deposits	Sep. 30, 2015
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Customer Deposits	Note 7 - Customer Deposits Customer deposits include cash payments from customers at the time they place an order for a vehicle and additional payments up to the point of delivery including the fair value of customer trade-in vehicles that are applicable toward a new vehicle purchase. Customer deposit amounts and timing vary depending on the vehicle model and country of delivery. Customer deposits are fully refundable up to the point the vehicle is placed into the production cycle. Customer deposits are included in current liabilities until refunded or until they are applied to a customer’s purchase balance at time of delivery. As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, we held customer deposits of $269.5 million and $257.6 million.

Convertible and Long-term Debt

Convertible and Long-term Debt Obligations	9 Months Ended
Convertible and Long-term Debt Obligations	Sep. 30, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Convertible and Long-term Debt Obligations	Note 8 - Convertible and Long-term Debt Obligations 0.25% and 1.25% Convertible Senior Notes and Bond Hedge and Warrant Transactions In March 2014, we issued $800.0 million principal amount of 0.25% convertible senior notes due 2019 (2019 Notes) and $1.20 billion principal amount of 1.25% convertible senior notes due 2021 (2021 Notes) in a public offering. In April 2014, we issued an additional $120.0 million aggregate principal amount of 2019 Notes and $180.0 million aggregate principal amount of 2021 Notes, pursuant to the exercise in full of the overallotment options of the underwriters of our March 2014 public offering. Each $1,000 of principal of the 2019 Notes and 2021 Notes will initially be convertible into 2.7788 shares of our common stock, which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $359.87 per share, subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of specified events. The total net proceeds from these offerings, after deducting transaction costs, were approximately $905.8 million from the 2019 Notes and $1.36 billion from the 2021 Notes. We incurred $14.2 million and $21.4 million, of debt issuance costs in connection with the 2019 Notes and the 2021 Notes, which we initially recorded in other assets and are amortizing to interest expense using the effective interest method over the contractual terms of these notes. The interest rates are fixed at 0.25% and 1.25% per annum and are payable semi-annually in arrears on March 1 and September 1 of each year, commencing on September 1, 2014. In connection with the offering of these notes in March 2014, we entered into convertible note hedge transactions whereby we have the option to purchase initially (subject to adjustment for certain specified events) a total of approximately 5.6 million shares of our common stock at a price of approximately $359.87 per share. The total cost of the convertible note hedge transactions was $524.7 million. In addition, we sold warrants whereby the holders of the warrants have the option to purchase initially (subject to adjustment for certain specified events) a total of approximately 2.2 million shares of our common stock at a price of $512.66 for the 2019 Notes and a total of approximately 3.3 million shares of our common stock at a price of $560.64 per share for 2021 Notes. We received $338.4 million in cash proceeds from the sale of these warrants. Similarly, in connection with the issuance of additional notes in April 2014, we entered into convertible note hedge transactions and paid an aggregate $78.7 million. In addition, we sold warrants to purchase (subject to adjustment for certain specified events) a total of approximately 0.3 million shares of our common stock at a price of $512.66 per share for the warrants relating to 2019 Notes, and a total of approximately 0.5 million shares of our common stock at a price of $560.64 per share for the warrants relating to 2021 Notes. We received aggregate proceeds of approximately $50.8 million from the sale of the warrants. Taken together, the purchase of the convertible note hedges and the sale of warrants are intended to reduce potential dilution and/or offset potential cash payments upon the conversion of these notes and to effectively increase the overall conversion price from $359.87 to $512.66 per share in the case of warrants relating to 2019 Notes and from $359.87 to $560.64 in the case of warrants relating to 2021 Notes. As these transactions meet certain accounting criteria, the convertible note hedges and warrants are recorded in stockholders’ equity and are not accounted for as derivatives. The net cost incurred in connection with the convertible note hedge and warrant transactions was recorded as a reduction to additional paid-in capital on the consolidated balance sheet. During the third quarter of 2015, the closing price of our common stock did not meet or exceed 130% of the applicable conversion price of our 2019 Notes and 2021 Notes on at least 20 of the last 30 consecutive trading days of the quarter; furthermore, no other conditions allowing holders of the 2019 Notes and 2021 Notes to convert have been met as of September 30, 2015. Therefore, the 2019 Notes and 2021 Notes are not convertible during the fourth quarter of 2015 and are classified as long-term debt. Should the closing price conditions be met in the fourth quarter of 2015 or a future quarter, the 2019 Notes and 2021 Notes will be convertible at their holders’ option during the immediately following quarter. 1.50% Convertible Senior Notes and Bond Hedge and Warrant Transactions In May 2013, we issued $660.0 million aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes due 2018 (2018 Notes) in a public offering. The net proceeds from the offering, after deducting transaction costs, were approximately $648.0 million. We incurred $12.0 million of debt issuance costs in connection with 2018 Notes which we initially recorded in other assets and are amortizing to interest expense using the effective interest method over the contractual term of 2018 Notes. Each $1,000 of principal of the 2018 Notes will initially be convertible into 8.0306 shares of our common stock, which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $124.52 per share, subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of specified events. The interest under 2018 Notes is fixed at 1.50% per annum and is payable semi-annually in arrears on June 1 and December 1 of each year, commencing on December 1, 2013. In connection with the offering of the 2018 Notes, we entered into convertible note hedge transactions whereby we have the option to purchase initially (subject to adjustment for certain specified events) a total of approximately 5.3 million shares of our common stock at a price of approximately $124.52 per share. The cost of the convertible note hedge transactions was $177.5 million. In addition, we sold warrants whereby the holders of the warrants have the option to purchase initially (subject to adjustment for certain specified events) a total of approximately 5.3 million shares of our common stock at a price of $184.48 per share. We received $120.3 million in cash proceeds from the sale of these warrants. Taken together, the purchase of the convertible note hedges and the sale of warrants are intended to reduce potential dilution and/or offset potential cash payment upon the conversion of the 2018 Notes and to effectively increase the overall conversion price from $124.52 to $184.48 per share. As these transactions meet certain accounting criteria, the convertible note hedges and warrants are recorded in stockholders’ equity and are not accounted for as derivatives. The net cost incurred in connection with the convertible note hedge and warrant transactions was recorded as a reduction to additional paid-in capital in the consolidated balance sheet. During the third quarter of 2015, the closing price of our common stock exceeded 130% of the applicable conversion price of our 2018 Notes on at least 20 of the last 30 consecutive trading days of the quarter; therefore, holders of 2018 Notes may convert their notes during the fourth quarter of 2015. As such, we classified the $613.6 million carrying value of our 2018 Notes as current liabilities and classified $46.2 million, representing the difference between the aggregate principal of our 2018 Notes of $659.8 million and the carrying value of 2018 Notes, as mezzanine equity on our consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2015. Similarly, debt issuance costs were classified as other current assets as of September 30, 2015. Should the closing price conditions be met again in the fourth quarter of 2015 or a future quarter, 2018 Notes will be convertible at their holders’ option during the immediately following quarter. Convertible Senior Notes Carrying Value and Interest Expense In accordance with accounting guidance on embedded conversion features, we valued and bifurcated the conversion option associated with the Notes from the respective host debt instrument and initially recorded the conversion option for the 2018, 2019, and 2021 Notes in stockholders’ equity. The resulting debt discounts on the 2018 Notes, 2019 Notes, and 2021 Notes are being amortized to interest expense at the effective interest rate over the contractual terms of the Notes. September 30, 2015 December 31, 2014 2018 Notes 2019 Notes 2021 Notes 2018 Notes 2019 Notes 2021 Notes (in thousands, except years and percentages) Carrying value $ 613,581 $ 786,290 $ 1,080,865 $ 601,566 $ 759,891 $ 1,046,627 Unamortized discount 46,181 133,710 299,135 58,196 160,109 333,373 Principal amount $ 659,762 $ 920,000 $ 1,380,000 $ 659,762 $ 920,000 $ 1,380,000 Remaining amortization period (years) 2.4 3.2 5.2 Effective interest rate on liability component 4.29 % 4.89 % 5.96 % Carrying amount of equity component $ 82,800 $ 188,100 $ 369,400 If converted value in excess of par value $ 656,352 Warehouse line of credit In March 2015, we entered into a loan and security agreement (the “Warehouse Facility”) for a secured asset based line of credit for a principal amount up to $100 million. In June 2015, we amended the Warehouse Facility for an additional principal amount of $50 million, for a total of up to $150 million. Obligations under the Warehouse Facility are secured by certain of our lease contracts with Tesla directly and the related leased vehicles. In connection with the Warehouse Facility, we sold the beneficial interest in such lease contracts and related vehicles to a wholly owned special purpose entity that is the borrower in the Warehouse Facility, which pledged such beneficial interest in the underlying assets to the third-party lender under the Warehouse Facility. Borrowings under the Warehouse Facility are generally limited to up to 72% of the net present value of the remaining lease payments and the residual vehicle values under eligible lease contracts. As of September 30, 2015, we have borrowed $124.4 million under the Warehouse Facility. Interest is payable monthly on amounts borrowed under the Warehouse Facility at a variable rate of LIBOR plus 1.65% and on undrawn amounts at a rate of 0.5%. The Warehouse facility matures in March 2017, at which time all outstanding borrowing will become due. Prior to that date, principal payments will be due in the amount that the borrowing limit decreases below our outstanding principal balance. We are required to meet various covenants, including meeting certain reporting requirements, such as the completion and presentation of audited consolidated financial statements for our borrowings. As of September 30, 2015 we were in compliance with all covenants contained in the Warehouse Facility agreement. Asset-Based Credit Agreement In June 2015, we entered into a senior secured asset-based revolving credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with a syndicate of banks, which we amended as of November 3, 2015. The Credit Agreement provides for a senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility (the “Credit Facility”), which we may draw upon as needed. In October, lenders increased their total funding commitments to us under the Credit Facility by up to an additional $250.0 million, subject to certain conditions, for total commitments up to $750 million. In addition, the Credit Agreement provides for a $200.0 million letter of credit sub-facility and a $40.0 million swing-line loan sub-facility. The Credit Agreement is collateralized by a pledge of certain of our accounts receivable, inventory, and equipment, and availability under the Credit Agreement is based on the value of such assets, as reduced by certain reserves. Borrowed funds bear interest, at our option, at an annual rate of (a) 1% plus LIBOR or (b) the highest of (i) the federal funds rate plus 0.50%, (ii) the lenders “prime rate” or (iii) 1% plus LIBOR. The fee for undrawn amounts is 0.25% per annum. Interest is payable quarterly. The Credit Agreement terminates, and all outstanding loans become due and payable, in June 2020. As of September 30, 2015, we had no borrowings under the Credit Facility. We are required to meet various covenants, including meeting certain reporting requirements, such as the completion and presentation of audited consolidated financial statements for our borrowings. As of September 30, 2015 we were in compliance with all covenants contained in the Credit Agreement. Pledged Assets As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, we have pledged or restricted $1,465 million and $29.3 million principally from finished goods and raw materials inventory, as well as certain property and equipment, direct lease vehicles, receivables and cash as collateral for letters of credit including our Warehouse line of credit and our Asset-based credit arrangement, real estate leases, and insurance policies. Interest Expense The following table presents the aggregate amount of interest expense recognized on the Warehouse Facility, Credit Agreement, 2018 Notes, 2019 Notes, and 2021 Notes relating to the contractual interest coupon and amortization of the debt issuance costs and debt discount. Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2015 2014 2015 2014 Contractual interest coupon $ 8,362 $ 7,522 $ 23,410 $ 11,174 Amortization of debt issuance costs 1,945 1,516 5,202 2,252 Amortization of debt discount 24,802 23,609 72,653 32,102 Total $ 35,109 $ 32,647 $ 101,265 $ 45,528

Equity Incentive Plans

Equity Incentive Plans	9 Months Ended
Equity Incentive Plans	Sep. 30, 2015
Disclosure Of Compensation Related Costs Sharebased Payments [Abstract]
Equity Incentive Plans	Note 9 - Equity Incentive Plans Performance-based Stock Option Grant In 2014, to create incentives for continued long term success beyond the Model S program and to closely align executive pay with our stockholders’ interests in the achievement of significant milestones by our company, the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors granted stock options to certain employees to purchase an aggregate 1,073,000 shares of our common stock. Each such grant consists of four vesting tranches with a vesting schedule based entirely on the attainment of future performance milestones, assuming continued employment and service to us through each vesting date. · 1/4th of the shares subject to the options are scheduled to vest upon completion of the first Model X Production Vehicle; · 1/4th of the shares subject to the options are scheduled to vest upon achieving aggregate vehicle production of 100,000 vehicles in a trailing 12-month period; · 1/4th of the shares subject to the options are scheduled to vest upon completion of the first Gen III Production Vehicle; and · 1/4th of the shares subject to the options are scheduled to vest upon achievement of annualized gross margin of greater than 30.0% in any three years The following performance milestone was achieved in the third quarter and ratified by the Compensation Committee on October 6, 2015. · Completion of the first Model X Production Vehicle We begin recording stock-based compensation expense as each milestone becomes probable. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, we recorded stock-based compensation expense of $2.7 million and $10.4 million related to this grant. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, we recorded stock-based compensation expense of $2.9 million and $9.2 million related to this grant. 2012 CEO Grant In August 2012, our Board of Directors granted 5,274,901 stock options to our CEO (2012 CEO Grant). The 2012 CEO Grant consists of ten vesting tranches with a vesting schedule based entirely on the attainment of both performance conditions and market conditions, assuming continued employment and service to us through each vesting date. Each of the ten vesting tranches requires a combination of one of the ten pre-determined performance milestones and an incremental increase in our market capitalization of $4.0 billion, as compared to the initial market capitalization of $3.2 billion measured at the time of the 2012 CEO Grant. As of September 30, 2015, the market conditions for seven vesting tranches and the following performance milestones were achieved and approved by our Board of Directors: · Successful completion of the Model X Alpha Prototype; and · Successful completion of the Model X Beta Prototype As of September 30, 2015, the following three performance milestones were considered probable of achievement: · Successful completion of the Model 3 Alpha Prototype · Aggregate vehicle production of 100,000 vehicles; and · Successful completion of the Model 3 Beta Prototype The following performance milestone was achieved in the third quarter and ratified by the Compensation Committee on October 6, 2015. · Completion of the first Model X Production Vehicle We begin recording stock-based compensation expense as each milestone becomes probable. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, we recorded stock-based compensation expense of $6.8 million and $9.5 million related to this grant. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, we recorded stock-based compensation expense of $3.8 million and $18.2 million related to this grant. No cash compensation has been received by our CEO for his services to the company. Summary Stock-Based Compensation Information The following table summarizes our stock-based compensation expense by line item in the consolidated statements of operations (in thousands): Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2015 2014 2015 2014 Cost of sales $ 3,828 $ 5,383 $ 13,249 $ 12,401 Research and development 24,153 16,639 63,857 45,006 Selling, general and administrative 28,052 17,136 65,288 54,572 Total $ 56,033 $ 39,158 $ 142,394 $ 111,979

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	9 Months Ended
Commitments and Contingencies	Sep. 30, 2015
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Note 10 - Commitments and Contingencies Legal Proceedings From time to time, we are subject to various legal proceedings that arise from the normal course of business activities. In addition, from time to time, third parties may assert intellectual property infringement claims against us in the form of letters and other forms of communication. If an unfavorable ruling were to occur, there exists the possibility of a material adverse impact on our results of operations, prospects, cash flows, financial position and brand. In November 2013, a putative securities class action lawsuit was filed against Tesla in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, alleging violations of, and seeking remedies pursuant to, Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5. The complaint, made claims against Tesla and our CEO, Elon Musk, sought damages and attorney’s fees on the basis of allegations that, among other things, Tesla and Mr. Musk made false and/or misleading representations and omissions, including with respect to the safety of Model S. This case was brought on behalf of a putative class consisting of certain persons who purchased Tesla’s securities between August 19, 2013 and November 17, 2013. On September 26, 2014, the trial court, upon the motion of Tesla and Mr. Musk, dismissed the complaint with prejudice, and thereafter issued a formal written order to that effect. The plaintiffs have appealed from the trial court’s order, and that appeal is pending.

Summary of Significant Accoun17

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	Sep. 30, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Consolidation	Basis of Consolidation The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Tesla and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. Intercompany balances and transactions between consolidated entities have been eliminated.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent liabilities and accompanying notes. Estimates are used for, but not limited to, determining the selling price of products and services in multiple element revenue arrangements and determining the amortization period of these elements
Unaudited Interim Financial Statements	Unaudited Interim Financial Statements The accompanying consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2015, the consolidated statements of operations and consolidated statements of comprehensive loss for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 and the consolidated statements of cash flows for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, and other information disclosed in the related notes are unaudited. The consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2014, was derived from our audited consolidated financial statements at that date. The accompanying consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes contained in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The accompanying interim consolidated financial statements and related disclosures have been prepared on the same basis as the annual consolidated financial statements and, in the opinion of management, reflect all adjustments, which include only normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the results of operations for the periods presented. The consolidated results of operations for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year or for any other future year or interim period. Beginning in the three months ended March 31, 2015, we changed the composition of the revenue and cost of revenue lines in our consolidated statement of operations. Automotive revenues includes revenues related to deliveries of new vehicles, including customer selected options, data connectivity, Supercharger access, vehicle software upgrades, sales of regulatory credits to other automotive manufacturers, amortization of revenue for cars sold with resale value guarantees, and vehicle leasing revenue. Services and other revenues consists of vehicle service income, sales of electric vehicle powertrain components and systems to other manufacturers, maintenance and development services income, Tesla Energy product sales, and pre-owned Tesla vehicle sales. Prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. Beginning January 1, 2015, the functional currency of each of our foreign subsidiaries changed to their local country’s currency. This change was based on the culmination of facts and circumstances that have developed as we expanded our foreign operations over the past year. The adjustment of $10.0 million attributable to the current rate translation of non-monetary assets as of the date of the change is included in accumulated other comprehensive loss on our consolidated balance sheet.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	Recent Accounting Pronouncements In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued an accounting update which amends the existing accounting standards for revenue recognition. The new guidance provides a new model to determine when and over what period revenue is recognized. Under this new model, revenue is recognized as goods or services are delivered in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to collect. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017; early adoption is permitted for periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The new standard is required to be applied retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented or retrospectively with the cumulative effect of initially applying it recognized at the date of initial application. We have not yet selected a transition method and are evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance.
Revenue Recognition	Revenue Recognition We recognize revenue when: (i) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; (ii) delivery has occurred and there are no uncertainties regarding customer acceptance; (iii) fees are fixed or determinable; and (iv) collection is reasonably assured. Vehicle sales include certain standard features, customer selected options and accessories and specific other elements that meet the definition of a deliverable under multiple-element accounting guidance including internet connectivity, free access to our Supercharger network, and future over the air software updates. These deliverables are valued on a stand-alone basis and we recognize their revenue over our performance period, which is generally the life of the car. If we sell a deliverable separately, we use that pricing to determine its fair value; otherwise, we use our best estimated selling price by considering third party pricing of similar options, costs used to develop and deliver the service, and other information which may be available. As of September 30, 2015, we had deferred $50.3 million, $40.1 million, $23.4 million, and $11.6 million related to the purchase of vehicle maintenance and service plans, access to our Supercharger network, internet connectivity, and future software upgrades. As of December 31, 2014, we had deferred $39.7 million, $25.6 million, $14.4 million, and $1.5 million related to these same performance obligations. Resale Value Guarantees and Other Financing Programs We offer resale value guarantees or similar buy-back terms to all customers who purchase vehicles in the US, Canada, European and Asian markets and who finance their vehicle through one of our specified commercial banking partners. Under these programs, customers have the option of selling their vehicle back to us during the guarantee period for a pre-determined resale value. Guarantee periods generally range from 36 to 39 months. Although we receive full payment for the vehicle sales price at the time of delivery, we account for these sales as operating leases and recognize revenue attributable to the lease on a straight-line basis over the guarantee period to automotive revenue. The amount of sale proceeds equal to the residual value guarantee is deferred until the guarantee expires or is exercised. The guarantee period expires at the earlier of the end of the stated guarantee period or the pay-off date of the initial loan. We capitalize the cost of the leased vehicle and depreciate its value, less expected salvage value, to cost of automotive revenue over the same period. In cases when a customer retains ownership of a vehicle at the end of the guarantee period, the resale value guarantee liability and any remaining deferred revenue balances related to the vehicle are settled to automotive revenue and the net book value of the leased vehicle is expensed to costs of automotive revenue. In cases when a customer returns the vehicle back to us during the guarantee period, we purchase the vehicle from the customer in an amount equal to the resale value guarantee and settle any remaining deferred revenue balance to automotive revenue. As of September 30, 2015, $85.6 million of the resale value guarantee liability relates to guarantees that are exercisable by customers within the next twelve months. In the fourth quarter of 2014, we also began offering residual value guarantees in connection with automobile sales to certain bank leasing partners. As we have guaranteed the value of these vehicles and as the vehicles are leased to end-customers, we account for receipt of cash from our bank leasing partners as collateralized borrowings. As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, we had $321.7 million and $19.6 million of such borrowings recorded in resale value guarantee and $73.9 million and $0 million recorded in deferred revenue liability, of which a portion will be accreted to revenue and a portion may be distributed to the bank leasing partner should we repurchase the vehicles at the end of the term or should the bank sell the car to a third party and receive proceeds less than the value we have guaranteed. The maximum cash payment to re-purchase these vehicles under these arrangements at September 30, 2015, is $210.0 million. Cash received upon the sale of such cars, net of revenue recognized during the period, is classified as collateralized lease borrowing within cash flows from financing activities in our consolidated statement of cash flows. Account activity related to our resale value guarantee program consisted of the following for the periods presented (in thousands): Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, 2015 September 30, 2015 Operating Lease Vehicles Operating lease vehicles—beginning of period $ 962,737 $ 684,590 Net increase in operating lease vehicles 257,338 605,529 Depreciation expense recorded in cost of automotive revenues (33,463 ) (82,456 ) Additional depreciation expense recorded in cost of automotive revenues as a result of early cancellation of resale value guarantee (3,646 ) (13,101 ) Increases to inventory from vehicles returned under our trade-in program (4,892 ) (16,488 ) Operating lease vehicles—end of period $ 1,178,074 $ 1,178,074 Deferred Revenue Deferred revenue—beginning of period $ 482,573 $ 381,096 Net increase in deferred revenue from new vehicle deliveries and reclassification of collateralized borrowing from long-term to short-term 137,820 344,351 Amortization of deferred revenue and short-term collateralized borrowing recorded in automotive revenue (65,895 ) (158,843 ) Additional revenue recorded in automotive revenue as a result of early cancellation of resale value guarantee (2,680 ) (9,295 ) Recognition of deferred revenue resulting from return of vehicle under trade-in program (1,723 ) (7,214 ) Deferred revenue—end of period $ 550,095 $ 550,095 Resale Value Guarantee Resale value guarantee liability—beginning of period $ 793,177 $ 487,879 Net increase in resale value guarantee 260,760 585,069 Reclassification from long-term to short-term collateralized borrowing (9,463 ) (13,850 ) Additional revenue recorded in automotive revenue as a result of early cancellation of resale value guarantee (2,356 ) (8,299 ) Release of resale value guarantee resulting from return of vehicle under trade-in program (3,808 ) (12,489 ) Resale value guarantee liability—end of period $ 1,038,310 $ 1,038,310 Vehicle Leasing Program We offer a leasing program in the United States and Canada for Model S. Qualifying customers are permitted to lease a Model S directly from Tesla for 36 months. At the end of the lease term, customers have the option of either returning the vehicle to us or purchasing it for a pre-determined residual value. We account for these leasing transactions as operating leases and recognize leasing revenues over the contractual term and record the depreciation of these vehicles to cost of automotive revenues. As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, we had deferred $22.6 million and $9.4 million of lease-related upfront payments which will be recognized on a straight-line basis over the contractual term of the individual leases. Lease revenues are recorded in automotive revenue and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, we recognized $11.5 million and $27.4 million. Lease revenue for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 was $1.1 million and $1.3 million.
Warranties	Warranties We provide a manufacturer’s warranty on all vehicles, production powertrain components and systems, and Tesla Energy products we sell. We accrue a manufacturer’s warranty reserve which includes our best estimate of the projected costs to repair or to replace items under warranty. These estimates are based on actual claims incurred to-date and an estimate of the nature, frequency and costs of future claims. These estimates are inherently uncertain and changes to our historical or projected warranty experience may cause material changes to our warranty reserve in the future. The portion of the warranty provision expected to be incurred within 12 months is classified as current within accrued liabilities, while the remaining amount is classified as long-term within other long-term liabilities. Accrued warranty activity consisted of the following for the periods presented (in thousands): Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2015 2014 2015 2014 Accrued warranty—beginning of period $ 164,595 $ 84,371 $ 129,043 $ 53,183 Warranty costs incurred (21,593 ) (11,179 ) (50,666 ) (29,750 ) Net changes in liability for pre-existing warranties, including expirations 1,306 14,609 12,635 24,270 Provision for warranty 26,026 25,934 79,322 66,032 Accrued warranty—end of period $ 170,334 $ 113,735 $ 170,334 $ 113,735 Our warranty reserves do not include projected warranty costs associated with our vehicles accounted for as operating leases or collateralized debt arrangements. Costs to repair these vehicles are expensed as incurred. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, warranty costs incurred for vehicles accounted for as operating leases or collateralized debt arrangements were $1.8 million and $6.0 million, and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, costs were $2.1 million and $5.1 million. Warranty expense is recorded as a component of cost of automotive revenue. Cost of automotive revenue during the nine months ended September 30, 2015 included a $12.6 million increase to our warranty reserve to reflect the additional preventative repairs we plan to perform on customer drive units and high-voltage battery packs when brought in for warranty related service.
Inventory Valuation	Inventory Valuation We value our inventories at the lower of cost or market. Inventories are recorded at cost on a first-in, first-out basis. We record inventory write-downs when we have amounts of inventory that are in excess of our planned production or where inventory has become obsolete to our production requirements. We also review inventory to determine whether its carrying value exceeds the net amount realizable upon the ultimate sale of the inventory. This requires us to determine the estimated selling price of our vehicles less the estimated cost to convert inventory on hand into a finished product. Should our estimates of future selling prices or production costs change, material changes to these reserves may be required. A change in our estimates may result in a material charge to our reported financial results.
Concentration of Risk	Concentration of Risk Credit Risk Financial instruments that potentially subject us to a concentration of credit risk consist of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and accounts receivable. Our cash equivalents are primarily invested in money market funds with high credit quality financial institutions in the United States. At times, these deposits and securities may be in excess of insured limits. We invest cash not required for use in operations in high credit quality securities based on our investment policy. Our investment policy provides guidelines and limits regarding credit quality, investment concentration, investment type, and maturity that we believe will provide liquidity while reducing risk of loss of capital. Our investments are currently of a short-term nature and include U.S. treasury bills. As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, our accounts receivable were derived primarily from amounts to be received from financial institutions and leasing companies offering various financing products to our customers, sales of regulatory credits, as well as the development and sales of powertrain components and systems to automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). As of September 30, 2015, we have two customers who individually account for 10% and 9% of our accounts receivable. Supply Risk Although there may be multiple suppliers available, many of the components used in our vehicles are purchased by us from a single source. If these single source suppliers fail to satisfy our requirements on a timely basis at competitive prices, we could suffer manufacturing delays, a possible loss of revenues, or incur higher cost of sales, any of which could adversely affect our operating results.
Stock-Based Compensation	Stock-Based Compensation We use the fair value method of accounting for our stock options and restricted stock units (RSUs) granted to employees and our Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) to measure the cost of employee services received in exchange for the stock-based awards. The fair value of stock options and ESPP are estimated on the grant date and offering date using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The fair value of RSUs is measured on the grant date based on the closing fair market value of our common stock. The resulting cost is recognized over the service period which is generally four years for stock options and RSUs and six months for the ESPP. Stock-based compensation expense is recognized on a straight-line basis, net of estimated forfeitures.
Net Loss per Share of Common Stock	Net Loss per Share of Common Stock Our basic and diluted net loss per share of common stock is calculated by dividing net loss by the weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding for the period. Potentially dilutive shares, which are based on the number of shares underlying outstanding stock options and warrants as well as our convertible senior notes, are not included when their effect is antidilutive. The following table presents the potential weighted common shares outstanding that were excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share of common stock for the periods presented. Anti-dilutive share counts for the twelve months ended December 31, 2014 have been updated. Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2015 2014 2015 2014 2014 Employee share based awards 14,917,083 13,852,307 15,426,144 14,048,245 14,729,749 Convertible senior notes 2,710,738 2,633,925 2,454,778 2,294,291 2,344,998 Warrants issued May 2013 1,463,838 1,350,038 1,084,627 846,860 921,985 Since we expect to settle the principal amount of our outstanding convertible senior notes in cash, we use the treasury stock method for calculating any potential dilutive effect of the conversion spread on diluted net income per share, if applicable. The conversion spread will have a dilutive impact on diluted net income per share of common stock when the average market price of our common stock for a given period exceeds the conversion price of $124.52, $359.87 and $359.87 per share for the convertible senior notes due 2018 (2018 Notes), convertible senior notes due 2019 (2019 Notes), and convertible senior notes due 2021 (2021 Notes).
Income Tax	Income Taxes There are transactions that occur during the ordinary course of business for which the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the aggregate balances of our gross unrecognized tax benefits were $64.0 million and $41.4 million. $60.8 million and $39.1 million of these aggregate balances would not give rise to changes in our effective tax rate since these tax benefits would increase a deferred tax asset which is currently offset by a full valuation allowance.

Summary of Significant Accoun18

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	9 Months Ended
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	Sep. 30, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Schedule of Account Activity Related to Resale Value Guarantee Program	Account activity related to our resale value guarantee program consisted of the following for the periods presented (in thousands): Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, 2015 September 30, 2015 Operating Lease Vehicles Operating lease vehicles—beginning of period $ 962,737 $ 684,590 Net increase in operating lease vehicles 257,338 605,529 Depreciation expense recorded in cost of automotive revenues (33,463 ) (82,456 ) Additional depreciation expense recorded in cost of automotive revenues as a result of early cancellation of resale value guarantee (3,646 ) (13,101 ) Increases to inventory from vehicles returned under our trade-in program (4,892 ) (16,488 ) Operating lease vehicles—end of period $ 1,178,074 $ 1,178,074 Deferred Revenue Deferred revenue—beginning of period $ 482,573 $ 381,096 Net increase in deferred revenue from new vehicle deliveries and reclassification of collateralized borrowing from long-term to short-term 137,820 344,351 Amortization of deferred revenue and short-term collateralized borrowing recorded in automotive revenue (65,895 ) (158,843 ) Additional revenue recorded in automotive revenue as a result of early cancellation of resale value guarantee (2,680 ) (9,295 ) Recognition of deferred revenue resulting from return of vehicle under trade-in program (1,723 ) (7,214 ) Deferred revenue—end of period $ 550,095 $ 550,095 Resale Value Guarantee Resale value guarantee liability—beginning of period $ 793,177 $ 487,879 Net increase in resale value guarantee 260,760 585,069 Reclassification from long-term to short-term collateralized borrowing (9,463 ) (13,850 ) Additional revenue recorded in automotive revenue as a result of early cancellation of resale value guarantee (2,356 ) (8,299 ) Release of resale value guarantee resulting from return of vehicle under trade-in program (3,808 ) (12,489 ) Resale value guarantee liability—end of period $ 1,038,310 $ 1,038,310 Vehicle Leasing Program We offer a leasing program in the United States and Canada for Model S. Qualifying customers are permitted to lease a Model S directly from Tesla for 36 months. At the end of the lease term, customers have the option of either returning the vehicle to us or purchasing it for a pre-determined residual value. We account for these leasing transactions as operating leases and recognize leasing revenues over the contractual term and record the depreciation of these vehicles to cost of automotive revenues. As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, we had deferred $22.6 million and $9.4 million of lease-related upfront payments which will be recognized on a straight-line basis over the contractual term of the individual leases. Lease revenues are recorded in automotive revenue and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, we recognized $11.5 million and $27.4 million. Lease revenue for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 was $1.1 million and $1.3 million.
Schedule of Accrued Warranty Activity	Accrued warranty activity consisted of the following for the periods presented (in thousands): Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2015 2014 2015 2014 Accrued warranty—beginning of period $ 164,595 $ 84,371 $ 129,043 $ 53,183 Warranty costs incurred (21,593 ) (11,179 ) (50,666 ) (29,750 ) Net changes in liability for pre-existing warranties, including expirations 1,306 14,609 12,635 24,270 Provision for warranty 26,026 25,934 79,322 66,032 Accrued warranty—end of period $ 170,334 $ 113,735 $ 170,334 $ 113,735
Schedule of Potential Weighted Common Shares Outstanding that were Excluded from Computation of Diluted Net Loss per Share of Common Stock	The following table presents the potential weighted common shares outstanding that were excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share of common stock for the periods presented. Anti-dilutive share counts for the twelve months ended December 31, 2014 have been updated. Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2015 2014 2015 2014 2014 Employee share based awards 14,917,083 13,852,307 15,426,144 14,048,245 14,729,749 Convertible senior notes 2,710,738 2,633,925 2,454,778 2,294,291 2,344,998 Warrants issued May 2013 1,463,838 1,350,038 1,084,627 846,860 921,985

Fair Value of Financial Instr19

Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Tables)	9 Months Ended
Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Tables)	Sep. 30, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Schedule of Fair Value Hierarchy of Financial Assets Carried at Fair Value	As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the fair value hierarchy for our financial assets that are carried at fair value was as follows (in thousands), and unrealized gains (losses) on all financial assets for all periods presented were less than $1.0 million: September 30, 2015 December 31, 2014 Fair Value Level I Level II Level III Fair Value Level I Level II Level Money market funds $ 617,350 $ 617,350 $ — $ — $ 1,275,346 $ 1,275,346 $ — $ — U.S. treasury bills 16,673 16,673 — — 16,673 16,673 — — Total $ 634,023 $ 634,023 $ — $ — $ 1,292,019 $ 1,292,019 $ — $ —

Inventory (Tables)

Inventory (Tables)	9 Months Ended
Inventory (Tables)	Sep. 30, 2015
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Inventory	As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, our inventory consisted of the following (in thousands): September 30, December 31, 2015 2014 Raw materials $ 393,691 $ 392,292 Work in process 86,587 56,114 Finished goods 692,437 397,318 Service parts 121,002 107,951 Total $ 1,293,717 $ 953,675

Property, Plant, and Equipment

Property, Plant, and Equipment (Tables)	9 Months Ended
Property, Plant, and Equipment (Tables)	Sep. 30, 2015
Property Plant And Equipment [Abstract]
Schedule of Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, our property, plant and equipment consisted of the following (in thousands): September 30, December 31, 2015 2014 Machinery, equipment and office furniture $ 1,519,415 $ 720,746 Construction in progress 747,046 572,125 Leasehold improvements 320,863 230,270 Tooling 439,415 295,906 Building and building improvements 336,212 154,362 Computer equipment and software 153,396 98,970 Land 60,233 49,478 3,576,580 2,121,857 Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization (472,769 ) (292,590 ) Total $ 3,103,811 $ 1,829,267

Accrued Liabilities (Tables)

Accrued Liabilities (Tables)	9 Months Ended
Accrued Liabilities (Tables)	Sep. 30, 2015
Payables And Accruals [Abstract]
Schedule of Accrued Liabilities	As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, our accrued liabilities consisted of the following (in thousands): September 30 December 31, 2015 2014 Taxes payable $ 64,129 $ 71,229 Accrued purchases 154,604 68,547 Payroll and related costs 79,473 54,492 Warranty and other 75,653 74,616 Total $ 373,859 $ 268,884

Convertible and Long-term Deb23

Convertible and Long-term Debt Obligations (Tables)	9 Months Ended
Convertible and Long-term Debt Obligations (Tables)	Sep. 30, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Debt Discounts	In accordance with accounting guidance on embedded conversion features, we valued and bifurcated the conversion option associated with the Notes from the respective host debt instrument and initially recorded the conversion option for the 2018, 2019, and 2021 Notes in stockholders’ equity. The resulting debt discounts on the 2018 Notes, 2019 Notes, and 2021 Notes are being amortized to interest expense at the effective interest rate over the contractual terms of the Notes. September 30, 2015 December 31, 2014 2018 Notes 2019 Notes 2021 Notes 2018 Notes 2019 Notes 2021 Notes (in thousands, except years and percentages) Carrying value $ 613,581 $ 786,290 $ 1,080,865 $ 601,566 $ 759,891 $ 1,046,627 Unamortized discount 46,181 133,710 299,135 58,196 160,109 333,373 Principal amount $ 659,762 $ 920,000 $ 1,380,000 $ 659,762 $ 920,000 $ 1,380,000 Remaining amortization period (years) 2.4 3.2 5.2 Effective interest rate on liability component 4.29 % 4.89 % 5.96 % Carrying amount of equity component $ 82,800 $ 188,100 $ 369,400 If converted value in excess of par value $ 656,352
Schedule of Aggregate Amount of Interest Expense Recognized	The following table presents the aggregate amount of interest expense recognized on the Warehouse Facility, Credit Agreement, 2018 Notes, 2019 Notes, and 2021 Notes relating to the contractual interest coupon and amortization of the debt issuance costs and debt discount. Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2015 2014 2015 2014 Contractual interest coupon $ 8,362 $ 7,522 $ 23,410 $ 11,174 Amortization of debt issuance costs 1,945 1,516 5,202 2,252 Amortization of debt discount 24,802 23,609 72,653 32,102 Total $ 35,109 $ 32,647 $ 101,265 $ 45,528

Equity Incentive Plans (Tables)

Equity Incentive Plans (Tables)	9 Months Ended
Equity Incentive Plans (Tables)	Sep. 30, 2015
Disclosure Of Compensation Related Costs Sharebased Payments [Abstract]
Summary of Stock-Based Compensation Expense	The following table summarizes our stock-based compensation expense by line item in the consolidated statements of operations (in thousands): Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2015 2014 2015 2014 Cost of sales $ 3,828 $ 5,383 $ 13,249 $ 12,401 Research and development 24,153 16,639 63,857 45,006 Selling, general and administrative 28,052 17,136 65,288 54,572 Total $ 56,033 $ 39,158 $ 142,394 $ 111,979

Overview of the Company - Addit

Overview of the Company - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015
Overview Of The Company [Line Items]
Common stock shares sold	3,099,173
Proceeds from issuance of common stock in public offerings	$ 738,300	$ 750,000
Elon Musk, our Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Overview Of The Company [Line Items]
Common stock shares sold	82,645
Proceeds from issuance of common stock in public offerings	$ 20,000

Summary of Significant Accoun26

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Adjustment attributable to current rate translation of non-monetary assets			$ 10,000,000
Resale value guarantees, current portion	$ 85,580,000		85,580,000
Automotive revenues	852,555,000	$ 799,915,000	2,623,965,000	$ 2,116,616,000
Warranty costs incurred for operating lease vehicles	1,800,000	2,100,000	6,000,000	5,100,000
Net changes in liability for pre-existing warranties, including expirations	1,306,000	14,609,000	12,635,000	24,270,000
Unrecognized tax benefits	64,000,000		64,000,000		$ 41,400,000
Unrecognized tax benefits that would not affect effective tax rate	$ 60,800,000		$ 60,800,000		39,100,000
2018 Notes [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Convertible notes, conversion price	$ 124.52		$ 124.52
2019 Notes [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Convertible notes, conversion price	359.87		359.87
2021 Notes [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Convertible notes, conversion price	$ 359.87		$ 359.87
Accounts Receivable [Member] \| Customer A [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Accounts receivable in excess of 10% of total accounts receivable			10.00%
Accounts Receivable [Member] \| Customer B [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Accounts receivable in excess of 10% of total accounts receivable			9.00%
Deferred lease revenue [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Deferred upfront payments	$ 22,600,000		$ 22,600,000		9,400,000
Automotive revenues	11,500,000	$ 1,100,000	27,400,000	$ 1,300,000
Sales To Leasing Companies With Guarantee [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Deferred upfront payments	73,900,000		73,900,000		0
Resale value guarantees	321,700,000		321,700,000		19,600,000
Maximum repurchase price of vehicles under resale value arrangement	210,000,000		$ 210,000,000
Minimum [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Guarantee period for resale			36 months
Maximum [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Guarantee period for resale			39 months
Internet [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Deferred upfront payments	23,400,000		$ 23,400,000		14,400,000
Future software upgrades [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Deferred upfront payments	11,600,000		$ 11,600,000		1,500,000
Model S [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Direct lease term			36 months
Vehicle maintenance and service plans [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Deferred upfront payments	50,300,000		$ 50,300,000		39,700,000
Supercharger network [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Deferred upfront payments	$ 40,100,000		$ 40,100,000		$ 25,600,000

Summary of Significant Accoun27

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Schedule of Account Activity Related to Resale Value Guarantee Program (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Operating Lease Vehicles
Net increase in operating lease vehicles		$ 1,091,382	$ 672,663
Depreciation expense recorded in cost of automotive revenues	$ (33,463)	(82,456)
Additional depreciation expense recorded in cost of automotive revenues as a result of early cancellation of resale value guarantee	(3,646)	(13,101)
Resale Value Guarantee
Net increase in resale value guarantee		249,548	$ 161,782
Resale Value Guarantee [Member]
Operating Lease Vehicles
Operating lease vehicles—beginning of period	962,737	684,590
Net increase in operating lease vehicles	257,338	605,529
Increases to inventory from vehicles returned under our trade-in program	(4,892)	(16,488)
Operating lease vehicles—end of period	1,178,074	1,178,074
Deferred Revenue
Deferred revenue—beginning of period	482,573	381,096
Net increase in deferred revenue from new vehicle deliveries and reclassification of collateralized borrowing from long-term to short-term	137,820	344,351
Amortization of deferred revenue and short-term collateralized borrowing recorded in automotive revenue	(65,895)	(158,843)
Additional revenue recorded in automotive revenue as a result of early cancellation of resale value guarantee	(2,680)	(9,295)
Recognition of deferred revenue resulting from return of vehicle under trade-in program	(1,723)	(7,214)
Deferred revenue—end of period	550,095	550,095
Resale Value Guarantee
Resale value guarantee liability—beginning of period	793,177	487,879
Net increase in resale value guarantee	260,760	585,069
Reclassification from long-term to short-term collateralized borrowing	(9,463)	(13,850)
Additional revenue recorded in automotive revenue as a result of early cancellation of resale value guarantee	(2,356)	(8,299)
Release of resale value guarantee resulting from return of vehicle under trade-in program	(3,808)	(12,489)
Resale value guarantee liability—end of period	$ 1,038,310	$ 1,038,310

Summary of Significant Accoun28

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Schedule of Accrued Warranty Activity (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Standard Product Warranty Disclosure [Abstract]
Accrued warranty—beginning of period	$ 164,595	$ 84,371	$ 129,043	$ 53,183
Warranty costs incurred	(21,593)	(11,179)	(50,666)	(29,750)
Net changes in liability for pre-existing warranties, including expirations	1,306	14,609	12,635	24,270
Provision for warranty	26,026	25,934	79,322	66,032
Accrued warranty—end of period	$ 170,334	$ 113,735	$ 170,334	$ 113,735

Summary of Significant Accoun29

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Schedule of Potential Weighted Common Shares Outstanding that were Excluded from Computation of Diluted Net Loss per Share of Common Stock (Detail) - shares	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Employee share based awards [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded From Computation Of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potential common shares excluded from computation of net loss per share	14,917,083	13,852,307	15,426,144	14,048,245	14,729,749
Convertible senior notes [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded From Computation Of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potential common shares excluded from computation of net loss per share	2,710,738	2,633,925	2,454,778	2,294,291	2,344,998
Warrant issued in May 2013 [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded From Computation Of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potential common shares excluded from computation of net loss per share	1,463,838	1,350,038	1,084,627	846,860	921,985

Fair Value of Financial Instr30

Fair Value of Financial Instruments - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Carrying value of warehouse facility liability	$ 124,400,000
2018 Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Estimated fair value of notes	1,350,000,000	$ 1,220,000,000
Principal amount of convertible senior notes	659,762,000	659,762,000
2019 Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Estimated fair value of notes	890,100,000	852,200,000
Principal amount of convertible senior notes	920,000,000	920,000,000
2021 Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Estimated fair value of notes	1,300,000,000	1,250,000,000
Principal amount of convertible senior notes	1,380,000,000	1,380,000,000
Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unrealized gains (losses) on financial assets	$ 1,000,000	$ 1,000,000

Fair Value of Financial Instr31

Fair Value of Financial Instruments - Schedule of Fair Value Hierarchy of Financial Assets Carried at Fair Value (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Financial assets, Fair Value	$ 634,023	$ 1,292,019
Level I [Member]
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Financial assets, Fair Value	634,023	1,292,019
Money market funds [Member]
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Financial assets, Fair Value	617,350	1,275,346
Money market funds [Member] \| Level I [Member]
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Financial assets, Fair Value	617,350	1,275,346
U.S. treasury bills [Member]
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Financial assets, Fair Value	16,673	16,673
U.S. treasury bills [Member] \| Level I [Member]
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Financial assets, Fair Value	$ 16,673	$ 16,673

Inventory - Schedule of Invento

Inventory - Schedule of Inventory (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Raw materials	$ 393,691	$ 392,292
Work in process	86,587	56,114
Finished goods	692,437	397,318
Service parts	121,002	107,951
Total	$ 1,293,717	$ 953,675

Property Plant and Equipment -

Property Plant and Equipment - Schedule of Property, Plant and Equipment, Net (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, gross	$ 3,576,580	$ 2,121,857
Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(472,769)	(292,590)
Property, plant and equipment, net	3,103,811	1,829,267
Machinery, equipment and office furniture [Member]
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, gross	1,519,415	720,746
Construction in progress [Member]
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, gross	747,046	572,125
Leasehold improvements [Member]
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, gross	320,863	230,270
Tooling [Member]
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, gross	439,415	295,906
Building and building improvements
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, gross	336,212	154,362
Computer equipment and software [Member]
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, gross	153,396	98,970
Land [Member]
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, gross	$ 60,233	$ 49,478

Property Plant and Equipment 34

Property Plant and Equipment - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Interest expense capitalized	$ 11,800	$ 3,700	$ 32,400	$ 6,900
Property, plant and equipment, net	3,103,811		3,103,811		$ 1,829,267
Accrued liabilities	373,859		373,859		268,884
Other long-term liabilities	336,505		336,505		173,244
Depreciation and amortization expense	71,800	$ 40,200	184,700	$ 105,100
Total property and equipment assets under capital lease	49,700		49,700		33,400
Accumulated depreciation related to assets under capital lease	19,400		19,400		12,800
Build To Suit Arrangements [Member]
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, net	167,400		167,400		52,400
Accrued liabilities	1,000		1,000		21,000
Other long-term liabilities	166,400		166,400		$ 31,400
Gigafactory [Member]
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Costs related to construction activities	$ 261,000		$ 261,000

Accrued Liabilities - Schedule

Accrued Liabilities - Schedule of Accrued Liabilities (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Payables And Accruals [Abstract]
Taxes payable	$ 64,129	$ 71,229
Accrued purchases	154,604	68,547
Payroll and related costs	79,473	54,492
Warranty and other	75,653	74,616
Total	$ 373,859	$ 268,884

Customer Deposits - Additional

Customer Deposits - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Customer deposits	$ 269,545	$ 257,587

Convertible and Long-term Deb37

Convertible and Long-term Debt Obligations - 0.25% and 1.25% Convertible Senior Notes and Bond Hedge and Warrant Transactions - Additional Information (Detail)	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2014USD ($)$ / sharesshares	Mar. 31, 2014USD ($)$ / sharesshares	Sep. 30, 2015USD ($)d$ / shares	Sep. 30, 2015USD ($)$ / sharesshares	Sep. 30, 2014USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Proceeds from issuance of warrants					$ 389,160,000
Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Payment for purchase of common stock \| shares		5,600,000
Common stock purchase price \| $ / shares		$ 359.87
Hedge transactions		$ 524,700,000
Senior Notes [Member] \| Warrants [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Hedge transactions	$ 78,700,000
Proceeds from issuance of warrants	50,800,000
Senior Notes [Member] \| 0.25% Convertible senior notes due 2019 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount of convertible senior notes	$ 120,000,000	$ 800,000,000	$ 920,000,000	$ 920,000,000		$ 920,000,000
Debt instrument interest rate		0.25%
Proceeds from convertible senior notes, net of underwriting discounts and offering costs				905,800,000
Debt issuance costs				$ 14,200,000
Debt instrument maturity year				2,019
Shares issued under warrants \| shares	300,000	2,200,000
Exercise price of warrant \| $ / shares	$ 512.66	$ 512.66
Senior Notes [Member] \| 0.25% Convertible senior notes due 2019 [Member] \| Minimum [Member] \| Warrants [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Conversion price per share \| $ / shares	359.87
Senior Notes [Member] \| 0.25% Convertible senior notes due 2019 [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Warrants [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Conversion price per share \| $ / shares	$ 512.66
Senior Notes [Member] \| 1.25% Convertible senior notes due 2021 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount of convertible senior notes	$ 180,000,000	$ 1,200,000,000	$ 1,380,000,000	$ 1,380,000,000		$ 1,380,000,000
Debt instrument interest rate		1.25%
Proceeds from convertible senior notes, net of underwriting discounts and offering costs				1,360,000,000
Debt issuance costs				$ 21,400,000
Debt instrument maturity year				2,021
Shares issued under warrants \| shares	500,000	3,300,000
Exercise price of warrant \| $ / shares	$ 560.64	$ 560.64
Proceeds from issuance of warrants		$ 338,400,000
Senior Notes [Member] \| 1.25% Convertible senior notes due 2021 [Member] \| Minimum [Member] \| Warrants [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Conversion price per share \| $ / shares	359.87
Senior Notes [Member] \| 1.25% Convertible senior notes due 2021 [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Warrants [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Conversion price per share \| $ / shares	$ 560.64
Senior Notes [Member] \| 0.25% and 1.25% Convertible Senior Notes and Bond Hedge and Warrant Transactions [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Convertible principal amount				$ 1,000
Convertible instrument, shares issued \| shares				2.7788
Convertible notes, conversion price \| $ / shares			$ 359.87	$ 359.87
Common stock price to conversion price, percentage			130.00%
Debt instrument convertible trading days \| d			20
Debt instrument convertible consecutive trading days			30 days
Senior Notes [Member] \| 0.25% and 1.25% Convertible Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument interest rate and payment description				The interest rates are fixed at 0.25% and 1.25% per annum and are payable semi-annually in arrears on March 1 and September 1 of each year, commencing on September 1, 2014.

Convertible and Long-term Deb38

Convertible and Long-term Debt Obligations - 1.50% Convertible Senior Notes and Bond Hedge and Warrant Transactions - Additional Information (Detail)	1 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2014USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2014USD ($)$ / sharesshares	May. 31, 2013USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015USD ($)d$ / sharesshares	Sep. 30, 2015USD ($)$ / sharesshares	Sep. 30, 2014USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Proceeds from issuance of warrants						$ 389,160,000
Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Payment for purchase of common stock \| shares		5,600,000
Common stock purchase price \| $ / shares		$ 359.87
Hedge transactions		$ 524,700,000
Senior Notes [Member] \| Warrants [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Hedge transactions	$ 78,700,000
Proceeds from issuance of warrants	$ 50,800,000
Senior Notes [Member] \| 1.50% Convertible senior notes due 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount of convertible senior notes			$ 660,000,000	$ 659,762,000	$ 659,762,000		$ 659,762,000
Debt instrument interest rate			1.50%
Debt instrument maturity year					2,018
Proceeds from convertible senior notes, net of underwriting discounts and offering costs			$ 648,000,000
Debt issuance costs			$ 12,000,000
Debt instrument interest payment description					payable semi-annually in arrears on June 1 and December 1 of each year, commencing on December 1, 2013
Convertible principal amount					$ 1,000
Convertible instrument, shares issued \| shares					8.0306
Convertible notes, conversion price \| $ / shares				$ 124.52	$ 124.52
Payment for purchase of common stock \| shares				5,300,000	5,300,000
Common stock purchase price \| $ / shares				$ 124.52	$ 124.52
Hedge transactions					$ 177,500,000
Shares issued under warrants \| shares				5,300,000	5,300,000
Exercise price of warrant \| $ / shares				$ 184.48	$ 184.48
Common stock price to conversion price, percentage				130.00%
Debt instrument convertible trading days \| d				20
Debt instrument convertible consecutive trading days				30 days
Notes carrying value				$ 613,600,000	$ 613,600,000
Unamortized debt discount				$ 46,181,000	46,181,000		$ 58,196,000
Senior Notes [Member] \| 1.50% Convertible senior notes due 2018 [Member] \| Warrants [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Proceeds from issuance of warrants					$ 120,300,000
Senior Notes [Member] \| 1.50% Convertible senior notes due 2018 [Member] \| Minimum [Member] \| Warrants [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Convertible notes, conversion price \| $ / shares				$ 124.52	$ 124.52
Senior Notes [Member] \| 1.50% Convertible senior notes due 2018 [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Warrants [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Convertible notes, conversion price \| $ / shares				$ 184.48	$ 184.48

Convertible and Long-term Deb39

Convertible and Long-term Debt Obligations - Schedule of Debt Discounts (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Apr. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	May. 31, 2013
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Carrying amount of equity component	$ 46,181	$ 58,196
Senior Notes [Member] \| 1.50% Convertible senior notes due 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Carrying value	613,581	601,566
Unamortized discount	46,181	58,196
Principal amount of convertible senior notes	$ 659,762	659,762			$ 660,000
Remaining amortization period (years)	2 years 4 months 24 days
Effective interest rate on liability component	4.29%
Carrying amount of equity component	$ 82,800
If converted value in excess of par value	656,352
Senior Notes [Member] \| 2019 Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Carrying value	786,290	759,891
Unamortized discount	133,710	160,109
Principal amount of convertible senior notes	$ 920,000	920,000	$ 120,000	$ 800,000
Remaining amortization period (years)	3 years 2 months 12 days
Effective interest rate on liability component	4.89%
Carrying amount of equity component	$ 188,100
Senior Notes [Member] \| 2021 Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Carrying value	1,080,865	1,046,627
Unamortized discount	299,135	333,373
Principal amount of convertible senior notes	$ 1,380,000	$ 1,380,000	$ 180,000	$ 1,200,000
Remaining amortization period (years)	5 years 2 months 12 days
Effective interest rate on liability component	5.96%
Carrying amount of equity component	$ 369,400

Convertible and Long-term Deb40

Convertible and Long-term Debt Obligations - Warehouse Line of Credit - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Carrying value of warehouse facility liability		$ 124,400,000
Secured Debt [Member] \| Warehouse Agreement Borrowings
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Secured asset based line of credit	$ 150,000,000		$ 100,000,000
Line of credit facility, additional principal amount	$ 50,000,000
Carrying value of warehouse facility liability		$ 124,400,000
Interest rate on undrawn amount		0.50%
Line of credit facility, expiration date		Mar. 31, 2017
Secured Debt [Member] \| Warehouse Agreement Borrowings \| LIBOR [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit, additional interest rate		1.65%
Secured Debt [Member] \| Warehouse Agreement Borrowings \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Borrowings limits of net present value		72.00%

Convertible and Long-term Deb41

Convertible and Long-term Debt Obligations - Asset-Based Credit Agreement - Additional Information (Detail) - Syndicate of Banks [Member] - Asset Based Revolving Credit Facility [Member] - Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	1 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Additional Borrowing Capacity	$ 250,000,000
Line of credit facility, conditional maximum borrowing capacity	750,000,000
Borrowings agreement , outstanding	200,000,000
Swing-line loan sub-facility	$ 40,000,000
Federal Funds Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit, additional interest rate	0.50%
LIBOR [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit, additional interest rate	1.00%
Undrawn amounts interest rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit, additional interest rate	0.25%

Convertible and Long-term Deb42

Convertible and Long-term Debt Obligations - Pledged Assets - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Pledged or restricted inventory, certain property and equipment, receivables and cash as collateral	$ 1,465	$ 29.3

Convertible and Long-term Deb43

Convertible and Long-term Debt Obligations - Schedule of Aggregate Amount of Interest Expense Recognized (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Contractual interest coupon	$ 8,362	$ 7,522	$ 23,410	$ 11,174
Amortization of debt issuance costs	1,945	1,516	5,202	2,252
Amortization of debt discount	24,802	23,609	72,653	32,102
Total	$ 35,109	$ 32,647	$ 101,265	$ 45,528

Equity Incentive Plans - Additi

Equity Incentive Plans - Additional Information (Detail)	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
Equity Incentive Plans - Additional Information (Detail)	Jan. 31, 2014Tranchesshares	Aug. 31, 2012Tranchesshares	Sep. 30, 2015USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015USD ($)TranchesVehicle	Sep. 30, 2014USD ($)
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Aggregate number of vehicle production \| Vehicle					100,000
Stock-based compensation					$ 142,359,000	$ 111,980,000
2012 CEO Grant [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of stock options granted \| shares		5,274,901
Number of vesting tranches \| Tranches					7
Stock-based compensation			$ 6,800,000	$ 3,800,000	$ 9,500,000	18,200,000
CEO Grant consists of number of vesting tranches \| Tranches		10
Market capitalization			4,000,000,000		4,000,000,000
Initial market capitalization			3,200,000,000		3,200,000,000
Cash compensation received by CEO					$ 0
First Model X Production Vehicle [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Portion of stock options scheduled to vest upon successful completion of performance objectives					0.25%
12-month period [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Portion of stock options scheduled to vest upon successful completion of performance objectives					0.25%
Aggregate number of vehicle production \| Vehicle					100,000
First Gen III Production Vehicle [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Portion of stock options scheduled to vest upon successful completion of performance objectives					0.25%
Three year period [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Portion of stock options scheduled to vest upon successful completion of performance objectives					0.25%
Gross margin					30.00%
Performance-based Stock Option Grant [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of stock options granted \| shares	1,073,000
Number of vesting tranches \| Tranches	4
Stock-based compensation			$ 2,700,000	$ 2,900,000	$ 10,400,000	$ 9,200,000

Equity Incentive Plans - Summar

Equity Incentive Plans - Summary of Stock-Based Compensation Expense (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Employee Service Share Based Compensation Allocation Of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 56,033	$ 39,158	$ 142,394	$ 111,979
Cost of sales [Member]
Employee Service Share Based Compensation Allocation Of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	3,828	5,383	13,249	12,401
Research and development [Member]
Employee Service Share Based Compensation Allocation Of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	24,153	16,639	63,857	45,006
Selling, general and administrative [Member]
Employee Service Share Based Compensation Allocation Of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 28,052	$ 17,136	$ 65,288	$ 54,572