Tesla R&D Spending Growth & History (TSLA)
Tesla's r&d spending was $6.41B for fiscal 2025.
View full Tesla company overviewTesla annual r&d spending history
| Fiscal year | Period ended | R&D spending | Change | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2025-12-31 | $6.41B | $1.87B | +41.21% |
| 2024 | 2024-12-31 | $4.54B | $571.0M | +14.39% |
| 2023 | 2023-12-31 | $3.97B | $894.0M | +29.07% |
| 2022 | 2022-12-31 | $3.08B | $482.0M | +18.59% |
| 2021 | 2021-12-31 | $2.59B | $1.10B | +73.91% |
| 2020 | 2020-12-31 | $1.49B | $148.0M | +11.02% |
| 2019 | 2019-12-31 | $1.34B | −$117.0M | −8.01% |
| 2018 | 2018-12-31 | $1.46B | $82.0M | +5.95% |
| 2017 | 2017-12-31 | $1.38B | $543.6M | +65.15% |
| 2016 | 2016-12-31 | $834.4M | $116.5M | +16.23% |
| 2015 | 2015-12-31 | $717.9M | $253.2M | +54.49% |
| 2014 | 2014-12-31 | $464.7M | $232.7M | +100.32% |
| 2013 | 2013-12-31 | $232.0M | −$42.0M | −15.33% |
| 2012 | 2012-12-31 | $274.0M | $65.0M | +31.10% |
| 2011 | 2011-12-31 | $209.0M | $116.0M | +124.72% |
| 2010 | 2010-12-31 | $93.0M | $73.7M | +382.29% |
| 2009 | 2009-12-31 | $19.3M | — | — |
Tesla quarterly r&d spending
| Fiscal quarter | Period ended | R&D spending | Change | YoY change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q2 2026 | 2026-06-30 | $2.37B | $782.0M | +49.21% |
| Q1 2026 | 2026-03-31 | $1.95B | $537.0M | +38.11% |
| Q4 2025 | 2025-12-31 | $1.78B | $507.0M | +39.73% |
| Q3 2025 | 2025-09-30 | $1.63B | $591.0M | +56.88% |
| Q2 2025 | 2025-06-30 | $1.59B | $515.0M | +47.95% |
| Q1 2025 | 2025-03-31 | $1.41B | $258.0M | +22.42% |
| Q4 2024 | 2024-12-31 | $1.28B | $182.0M | +16.64% |
| Q3 2024 | 2024-09-30 | $1.04B | −$122.0M | −10.51% |
| Q2 2024 | 2024-06-30 | $1.07B | $131.0M | +13.89% |
| Q1 2024 | 2024-03-31 | $1.15B | $380.0M | +49.29% |
| Q4 2023 | 2023-12-31 | $1.09B | $284.0M | +35.06% |
| Q3 2023 | 2023-09-30 | $1.16B | $428.0M | +58.39% |
| Q2 2023 | 2023-06-30 | $943.0M | $276.0M | +41.38% |
| Q1 2023 | 2023-03-31 | $771.0M | −$94.0M | −10.87% |
| Q4 2022 | 2022-12-31 | $810.0M | $70.0M | +9.46% |
| Q3 2022 | 2022-09-30 | $733.0M | $122.0M | +19.97% |
| Q2 2022 | 2022-06-30 | $667.0M | $91.0M | +15.80% |
| Q1 2022 | 2022-03-31 | $865.0M | $199.0M | +29.88% |
| Q4 2021 | 2021-12-31 | $740.0M | $218.0M | +41.76% |
| Q3 2021 | 2021-09-30 | $611.0M | $245.0M | +66.94% |
| Q2 2021 | 2021-06-30 | $576.0M | $297.0M | +106.45% |
| Q1 2021 | 2021-03-31 | $666.0M | $342.0M | +105.56% |
| Q4 2020 | 2020-12-31 | $522.0M | $177.0M | +51.30% |
| Q3 2020 | 2020-09-30 | $366.0M | $32.0M | +9.58% |
| Q2 2020 | 2020-06-30 | $279.0M | −$45.0M | −13.89% |
| Q1 2020 | 2020-03-31 | $324.0M | −$16.0M | −4.71% |
| Q4 2019 | 2019-12-31 | $345.0M | −$10.8M | −3.03% |
| Q3 2019 | 2019-09-30 | $334.0M | −$17.0M | −4.84% |
| Q2 2019 | 2019-06-30 | $324.0M | −$62.1M | −16.09% |
| Q1 2019 | 2019-03-31 | $340.0M | −$27.1M | −7.38% |
| Q4 2018 | 2018-12-31 | $355.8M | $1.2M | +0.34% |
| Q3 2018 | 2018-09-30 | $351.0M | $19.4M | +5.84% |
| Q2 2018 | 2018-06-30 | $386.1M | $16.4M | +4.42% |
| Q1 2018 | 2018-03-31 | $367.1M | $45.1M | +13.99% |
| Q4 2017 | 2017-12-31 | $354.6M | $108.6M | +44.16% |
| Q3 2017 | 2017-09-30 | $331.6M | $117.3M | +54.75% |
| Q2 2017 | 2017-06-30 | $369.8M | $178.1M | +92.93% |
| Q1 2017 | 2017-03-31 | $322.0M | $139.6M | +76.48% |
| Q4 2016 | 2016-12-31 | $246.0M | $55.7M | +29.29% |
| Q3 2016 | 2016-09-30 | $214.3M | $35.5M | +19.86% |
| Q2 2016 | 2016-06-30 | $191.7M | $10.0M | +5.48% |
| Q1 2016 | 2016-03-31 | $182.5M | $15.3M | +9.17% |
| Q4 2015 | 2015-12-31 | $190.2M | $50.7M | +36.31% |
| Q3 2015 | 2015-09-30 | $178.8M | $42.9M | +31.59% |
| Q2 2015 | 2015-06-30 | $181.7M | $74.0M | +68.69% |
| Q1 2015 | 2015-03-31 | $167.2M | $85.6M | +104.99% |
| Q4 2014 | 2014-12-31 | $139.6M | $71.1M | +103.88% |
| Q3 2014 | 2014-09-30 | $135.9M | $79.5M | +141.12% |
| Q2 2014 | 2014-06-30 | $107.7M | $55.4M | +105.91% |
| Q1 2014 | 2014-03-31 | $81.5M | $26.7M | +48.64% |
| Q4 2013 | 2013-12-31 | $68.5M | −$378,000 | −0.55% |
| Q3 2013 | 2013-09-30 | $56.4M | −$5.5M | −8.97% |
| Q2 2013 | 2013-06-30 | $52.3M | −$22.5M | −30.11% |
| Q1 2013 | 2013-03-31 | $54.9M | −$13.5M | −19.79% |
| Q4 2012 | 2012-12-31 | $68.8M | $7.6M | +12.46% |
| Q3 2012 | 2012-09-30 | $61.9M | $7.8M | +14.46% |
| Q2 2012 | 2012-06-30 | $74.9M | $22.3M | +42.49% |
| Q1 2012 | 2012-03-31 | $68.4M | $27.2M | +66.15% |
| Q4 2011 | 2011-12-31 | $61.2M | — | — |
| Q3 2011 | 2011-09-30 | $54.1M | $27.4M | +102.57% |
| Q2 2011 | 2011-06-30 | $52.5M | $37.1M | +240.76% |
| Q1 2011 | 2011-03-31 | $41.2M | — | — |
| Q3 2010 | 2010-09-30 | $26.7M | — | — |
| Q2 2010 | 2010-06-30 | $15.4M | — | — |
Tesla r&d spending trends
Over the last five fiscal years, Tesla's r&d spending increased from $1.49B to $6.41B, a change of $4.92B. The latest reported quarter, Q2 2026, shows $2.37B.
What research and development spending means
Research and development (R&D) spending covers the costs of creating and improving products, services, software, technologies, and processes. Higher R&D spending may support future innovation, but the amount alone does not show whether those investments will generate returns.
SEC-reported R&D expense
TickerStat standardizes research and development expense reported in company SEC filings, including the software-specific US-GAAP R&D concept when it is the filer’s primary R&D expense line. It is historical company-reported spending, not an estimate or forecast. Fiscal periods can differ from calendar years, so exact period-end dates are included.
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