v3.26.1
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2026
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Unaudited Interim Financial Statements
The consolidated financial statements of Tesla, Inc. (“Tesla”, the “Company”, “we”, “us” or “our”), including the consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2026, the consolidated statements of operations, the consolidated statements of comprehensive income, the consolidated statements of redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity, and the consolidated statements of cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, as well as other information disclosed in the accompanying notes, are unaudited. The consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2025 was derived from the audited consolidated financial statements as of that date. The interim consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes should be read in conjunction with the annual consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025.
The interim consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes 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 years or interim periods.
Reclassifications
Certain prior period balances have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation in the consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes.
Revenue Recognition
Revenue by source
The following table disaggregates our revenue by major source (in millions):
 Three Months Ended March 31,
 20262025
Automotive sales$15,473 $12,925 
Automotive regulatory credits380 595 
Energy generation and storage sales2,305 2,621 
Services and other3,745 2,638 
Total revenues from sales and services21,903 18,779 
Automotive leasing381 447 
Energy generation and storage leasing103 109 
Total revenues$22,387 $19,335 
Automotive Segment
Automotive Sales
Deferred revenue related to internet connectivity, access to our Full Self-Driving (“FSD”) (Supervised) features and their ongoing maintenance, free Supercharging programs and over-the-air software updates primarily on automotive sales amounted to $4.00 billion and $3.87 billion as of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively.
Deferred revenue is equivalent to the total transaction price allocated to the performance obligations that are unsatisfied, or partially unsatisfied, as of the balance sheet date. Revenue recognized from the deferred revenue balances as of December 31, 2025 and 2024 was $218 million and $258 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively. Of the total deferred revenue balance as of March 31, 2026, we expect to recognize $941 million of revenue in the next 12 months. The remaining balance will be recognized at the time of transfer of control of the product or over the performance period.
We have financing receivables on our consolidated balance sheets related to loans we provide for financing our automotive deliveries. As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, we had current net financing receivables of $243 million and $247 million, respectively, in Accounts receivable, net, and $506 million and $554 million, respectively, in Other non-current assets for the long-term portion.
We offer resale value guarantees to our commercial banking partners in connection with certain vehicle leasing programs. Under these programs, we originate the lease with our end customer and immediately transfer the lease and the underlying vehicle to our commercial banking partner, with the transaction being accounted for as a sale under ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers.
We receive upfront payment for the vehicle, do not bear casualty and credit risks during the lease term, and we provide a guarantee capped to a limit if they are unable to sell the vehicle at or above the vehicle’s contractual or determined residual value at the end of the lease term. We estimate a guarantee liability in accordance with ASC 460, Guarantees and record it within other liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets. On a quarterly basis, we assess the estimated market value of vehicles sold under these programs to determine whether there have been changes to the amount of expected resale value guarantee liabilities. As we accumulate more data related to the resale values of our vehicles or as market conditions change, there may be material changes to their estimated values. The total recorded guarantee liabilities on vehicles sold under these programs were immaterial as of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025. Our maximum exposure on the guarantees we provide if they are unable to sell the vehicle at or above the vehicle’s contractual residual value at the end of the lease term was $3.67 billion and $3.45 billion as of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively.
Automotive Regulatory Credits
As of March 31, 2026, total transaction price allocated to performance obligations that were unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied for contracts with an original expected length of more than one year was $303 million. Of this amount, we expect to recognize $198 million in the next 12 months and the rest over the remaining performance obligation period. Changes in regulations on automotive regulatory credits may significantly impact our remaining performance obligations and revenue to be recognized under these contracts. Recent governmental and regulatory actions have restricted certain regulatory credit programs tied to our products.
Automotive Leasing Revenue
Direct Sales-Type Leasing Program
Lease receivables relating to sales-type leases are presented on the consolidated balance sheets as follows (in millions):
 March 31, 2026December 31, 2025
Gross lease receivables$205 $259 
Unearned interest income(10)(14)
Allowance for expected credit losses(4)(5)
Net investment in sales-type leases$191 $240 
Reported as:
Prepaid expenses and other current assets$116 $130 
Other non-current assets75 110 
Net investment in sales-type leases$191 $240 
Energy Generation and Storage Segment
Energy Generation and Storage Sales
We record as deferred revenue any non-refundable amounts that are primarily related to prepayments from customers, which is recognized as revenue as or when the performance obligations are satisfied. As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, deferred revenue related to such customer payments amounted to $2.17 billion and $2.04 billion, respectively, mainly due to contractual payment terms. Revenue recognized from the deferred revenue balances as of December 31, 2025 and 2024 was $781 million and $623 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively. We have elected the practical expedient to omit disclosure of the amount of the transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations for contracts with an original expected contract length of one year or less and the amount that we have the right to invoice when that amount corresponds directly with the value of the performance to date. As of March 31, 2026, total transaction price allocated to performance obligations that were unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied for contracts with an original expected length of more than one year was $10.15 billion. Of this amount, we expect to recognize $5.02 billion in the next 12 months and the rest over the remaining performance obligation period. Changes in government and economic incentives or tariffs may impact the transaction price or our ability to execute these existing contracts.
We have financing receivables on our consolidated balance sheets related to loans we provide for financing our energy products. As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, we had current net financing receivables of $39 million and $38 million, respectively, in Accounts receivable, net, and $722 million and $731 million, respectively, in Other non-current assets for the long-term portion.
Income Taxes
We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. and in many foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required in determining our provision for income taxes, our deferred tax assets and liabilities and any valuation allowance recorded against our net deferred tax assets that are not more likely than not to be realized. We monitor the realizability of our deferred tax assets taking into account all relevant factors at each reporting period. In completing our assessment of realizability of our deferred tax assets, we consider our history of income (loss) measured at pre-tax income (loss) adjusted for permanent book-tax differences on a jurisdictional basis, volatility in actual earnings, excess tax benefits related to stock-based compensation in recent prior years and impacts of the timing of reversal of existing temporary differences. We also rely on our assessment of the Company’s projected future results of business operations, including uncertainty in future operating results relative to historical results, volatility in the market price of our common stock and its performance over time, variable macroeconomic conditions impacting our ability to forecast future taxable income, and changes in business that may affect the existence and magnitude of future taxable income. Our valuation allowance assessment is based on our best estimate of future results considering all available information.
Our provision for income taxes for interim periods is determined using an estimate of our annual effective tax rate, adjusted for discrete items, if any, that are taken into account in the relevant period. Each quarter, we update our estimate of the annual effective tax rate, and if our estimated tax rate changes, we make a cumulative adjustment.
Net Income per Share of Common Stock Attributable to Common Stockholders
Restricted stock awards will be excluded from the computation of diluted weighted average shares until the shares have been deemed to be earned. The following table presents the reconciliation of basic to diluted weighted average shares used in computing net income per share of common stock attributable to common stockholders (in millions):
Three Months Ended March 31,
20262025
Weighted average shares used in computing net income per share of common stock, basic3,2343,218
Add: Stock-based awards304303
Weighted average shares used in computing net income per share of common stock, diluted3,5383,521
The following table presents the potentially dilutive shares that were excluded from the computation of diluted net income per share of common stock attributable to common stockholders, because their effect was anti-dilutive (in millions):
Three Months Ended March 31,
20262025
Stock-based awards713
Restricted Cash
Our total cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash, as presented in the consolidated statements of cash flows, was as follows (in millions):
 March 31,
2026
December 31,
2025
March 31,
2025
December 31,
2024
Cash and cash equivalents$16,603 $16,513 $16,352 $16,139 
Restricted cash included in prepaid expenses and other current assets327 389 415 494 
Restricted cash included in other non-current assets725 714 483 404 
Total as presented in the consolidated statements of cash flows$17,655 $17,616 $17,250 $17,037 
SpaceX Equity Investment
We are presumed to have significant influence over our equity method investment in SpaceX under ASC 323, Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures, as our CEO also serves as the CEO of SpaceX but as we do not have control over the investee, we have elected the fair value option in accordance with ASC 825, Financial Instruments, to provide a more relevant measure of the investment’s current economic value to financial statement users. The fair value is determined on a quarterly basis in accordance with ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement, based on market observable inputs. The equity investment is presented within Other non-current assets on our consolidated balance sheet. Realized and unrealized gains and losses are recorded to Other expense, net in our consolidated statement of operations. See Note 12, Related Party Transactions, for further information regarding our equity investment.
Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
Depending on the day of the week on which the end of a fiscal quarter falls, our accounts receivable balance may fluctuate as we are waiting for certain customer payments to clear through our banking institutions and receipts of payments from our financing partners, which can take up to approximately two weeks based on the contractual payment terms with such partners. Our accounts receivable balances associated with sales of energy storage products are dependent on billing milestones and payment terms negotiated for each contract, and our accounts receivable balances associated with our sales of regulatory credits are dependent on contractual payment terms. These various factors may have a significant impact on our accounts receivable balance from period to period. As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, government rebates receivable was $144 million and $108 million, respectively, in Accounts receivable, net.
Financing Receivables
As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, the vast majority of our financing receivables were at current status with an immaterial balance being past due. As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, the majority of our financing receivables, excluding MyPower notes receivable, were originated in the past four years.
As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, the total outstanding balance of MyPower customer notes receivable, net of allowance for expected credit losses, was $238 million and $241 million, respectively, of which immaterial amounts were due in the next 12 months. As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, the allowance for expected credit losses was $24 million and $26 million, respectively.
Concentration of Risk
Credit Risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject us to a concentration of credit risk consist of cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments, restricted cash, accounts receivable and other finance receivables. Our cash and short-term investments balances are primarily on deposit at high credit quality financial institutions or invested in highly rated, investment-grade securities. These deposits are typically in excess of insured limits. As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, no entity represented 10% or more of our total receivables balance.
Supply Risk
We are dependent on our suppliers, including single source suppliers, and the inability of these suppliers to deliver necessary components of our products in a timely manner at prices, quality levels and volumes acceptable to us, or our inability to efficiently manage these components from these suppliers, could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.
Warranties
Accrued warranty activity consisted of the following (in millions):
Three Months Ended March 31,
20262025
Accrued warranty - beginning of period$8,607 $6,716 
Warranty costs incurred(468)(392)
Net changes in liability for pre-existing warranties, including expirations and foreign exchange impact(175)347 
Provision for warranty508 543 
Accrued warranty - end of period$8,472 $7,214 
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Recently issued accounting pronouncements not yet adopted
In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU No. 2024-03, Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses (Subtopic 220-40). The ASU requires the disaggregated disclosure of specific expense categories, including purchases of inventory, employee compensation, depreciation, and amortization, within relevant income statement captions. This ASU also requires disclosure of the total amount of selling expenses along with the definition of selling expenses. The ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2027. Adoption of this ASU can either be applied prospectively to consolidated financial statements issued for reporting periods after the effective date of this ASU or retrospectively to any or all prior periods presented in the consolidated financial statements. Early adoption is also permitted. We are currently evaluating the provisions of this ASU and expect this ASU will likely result in the required additional disclosures being included in our consolidated financial statements, once adopted.
In September 2025, the FASB issued ASU No. 2025-06, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other—Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Internal-Use Software. The ASU simplifies the capitalization guidance by removing all references to prescriptive and sequential software development stages (referred to as “project stages”) throughout ASC 350-40. The ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2027, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Adoption of this ASU can be applied prospectively for reporting periods after its effective date; or following a modified transition approach that is based on the status of the respective projects and whether software costs were capitalized before the date of adoption; or retrospectively to any or all prior periods presented in the consolidated financial statements. Early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the provisions of this ASU and do not expect this ASU to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
In December 2025, the FASB issued ASU No. 2025-10, Government Grants (Topic 832): Accounting for Government Grants Received by Business Entities. The ASU establishes authoritative guidance in GAAP about accounting for government grants received by business entities, clarifies the appropriate accounting, in an effort to reduce diversity in practice, and increase consistency of application across business entities. The ASU is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2028, and interim reporting periods within those annual reporting periods. Adoption of this ASU can be applied a modified prospective approach, a modified retrospective approach, or a retrospective approach. Early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the provisions of this ASU and do not expect this ASU to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
In December 2025, the FASB issued ASU No. 2025-11, Interim Reporting (Topic 270): Narrow-Scope Improvements. The ASU clarifies interim disclosure requirements and the applicability of Topic 270. The objective of the amendments is to provide further clarity about the current interim disclosure requirements. The ASU is effective for interim reporting periods within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2027. Adoption of this ASU can be applied either a prospective or a retrospective approach. Early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the provisions of this ASU and do not expect this ASU to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
In December 2025, the FASB issued ASU No. 2025-12, Codification Improvements. The ASU addresses thirty-three items, representing the changes to the Codification that (1) clarify, (2) correct errors, or (3) make minor improvements. Generally, the amendments in this Update are not intended to result in significant changes for most entities. The ASU is effective for interim reporting periods within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2026. The adoption method of this ASU may vary, on an issue-by-issue basis. Early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the provisions of this ASU and do not expect this ASU to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
Recently adopted accounting pronouncements
ASU 2025-05
In July 2025, the FASB issued ASU No. 2025-05, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses for Accounts Receivable and Contract Assets. The amendments in this update provide a practical expedient permitting an entity to assume that conditions at the balance sheet date remain unchanged over the life of the asset when estimating expected credit losses for current classified accounts receivable and contract assets. We adopted this ASU on a prospective basis effective January 1, 2026. While this ASU was adopted, we did not elect practical expedient permitted under this ASU. Therefore, the adoption has no impact on our consolidated financial statements.