Tesla's net loss attributable to common stockholders 2013-2019

Net loss attributable to Tesla’s common stockholders was 862 million U.S. dollars in 2019. In the same year, the California-based company burnt through a total of about 775 million U.S. dollars of cash.

Focus on innovation drives costs

  Net losses began to accelerate in 2014 and peaked in 2017. Between 2014 and 2019, Tesla’s research and development (R&D) expenses increased by a staggering 189 percent from about 465 million to 1.3 billion U.S. dollars. Tesla's R&D expenses decreased by eight percent between 2018 and 2019. In 2017 and 2018, the company had an R&D intensity of 12 and 7 percent, respectively. This was largely due to the focus on innovative technologies, including electric vehicle batteries and charging infrastructure. However, the company had to invest significantly more capital than expected towards ramping up production of its new Model 3. As a result of increasing demand for Model 3 batteries, Tesla has also begun pouring money into a Gigafactory plant in Shanghai.

Cost improvement trend

  Tesla's selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) expenses jumped from 1.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2016 to more than 2.4 billion U.S. dollars in the following year. SG&A expenses increased moderately by to reach 2.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2018 and 2.65 billion U.S. dollars the most recent fiscal year, indicating that Tesla has managed to put a halt to rising SG&A costs.