How does Tesla (TSLA) make money?

Tesla (TSLA) generates revenue primarily from Automotive, which accounted for 73.3% of total revenue in TTM through Q1 2026. The company reported $97.88B in revenue and converted 4% of it into net profit, equivalent to roughly $3.88B in net income — what's left after the cost of revenue, operating expenses, interest, and income taxes.

What is the gross profit margin of Tesla (TSLA)?

Tesla (TSLA) reported a gross profit margin of 19.1% in TTM through Q1 2026, equivalent to $18.66B in gross profit on $97.88B in revenue. Gross margin measures how much of each dollar of revenue remains after the direct cost of producing or delivering the product — a higher figure typically signals pricing power, scale, or a less capital-intensive business model.

What is the operating profit margin of Tesla (TSLA)?

Tesla (TSLA) reported an operating profit margin of 5% in TTM through Q1 2026, equivalent to $4.90B in operating income. Operating margin captures profitability after research & development, sales & marketing, and general & administrative expenses — but before interest, taxes, and one-off items — and is the cleanest single read on the underlying business's efficiency.

What is the net profit margin of Tesla (TSLA)?

Tesla (TSLA) reported a net profit margin of 4% in TTM through Q1 2026, equivalent to $3.88B in net income. Net margin is the bottom-line share of revenue that survives every expense — operating costs, interest, and income taxes — and is the figure that flows directly into earnings per share.

Is Tesla (TSLA) profitable?

Yes. Tesla (TSLA) reported $3.88B in net income for TTM through Q1 2026, with a net profit margin of 4%. The company earned more from its operations than it paid out in costs, interest, and income taxes, leaving positive earnings on the bottom line.

How much does Tesla (TSLA) invest in research and development?

Tesla (TSLA) invested $6.95B in research and development during TTM through Q1 2026, roughly 7.1% of total revenue. R&D spending funds the company's future product pipeline and is expensed in full on the income statement rather than capitalised, which makes the operating margin sensitive to how aggressively management chooses to reinvest in innovation.

How much does Tesla (TSLA) spend on capital expenditures?

Tesla (TSLA) spent $9.53B on capital expenditures (CapEx) during TTM through Q1 2026, roughly 9.7% of total revenue. CapEx represents long-lived investment in property, equipment, data centres, and other physical infrastructure, and is subtracted from operating cash flow to arrive at free cash flow.

How much free cash flow does Tesla (TSLA) generate?

Tesla (TSLA) generated $7.00B in free cash flow during TTM through Q1 2026, a free-cash-flow margin of 7.2%. Free cash flow is the cash left after capital expenditures and represents the discretionary pool the company can use to pay dividends, repurchase shares, repay debt, or fund acquisitions without raising external capital.

What is the effective tax rate of Tesla (TSLA)?

Tesla (TSLA) had an effective tax rate of 27.8% in TTM through Q1 2026. The effective rate is the actual share of pre-tax income paid as income taxes and can differ materially from the statutory rate due to foreign earnings mix, tax credits (such as R&D), share-based compensation deductions, and one-off discrete items.

What are the main business segments of Tesla (TSLA)?

Tesla (TSLA) reports revenue across 3 reportable product segments, led by Automotive at 73.3% of total revenue in TTM through Q1 2026. See the revenue-by-segment table on this page for the full breakdown and how each segment feeds into the income-statement waterfall above.

Where does Tesla (TSLA) generate most of its revenue?

UNITED STATES is the largest geographic market for Tesla (TSLA), accounting for 49% of revenue in the most recent annual filing. The complete regional split — including international markets and any Rest-of-World rollup — is shown in the revenue-by-geography table on this page.

How Tesla Makes Money: 2026 Visual Revenue Map

Tesla (TSLA) Income Statement Flow — TTM through Q1 2026

Calculated from the four most recent reported quarters, ending March 31, 2026 (reported April 23, 2026).

Tesla (TSLA) Revenue by Product Segment — TTM through Q1 2026

Aggregated from the four quarterly disclosures behind this TTM. Minor differences vs the company's annual filing can occur if reported segments changed mid-year.

Revenue contribution by product segment for Tesla (TSLA) in TTM through Q1 2026.
Segment	Revenue (USD)	% of total
Automotive	$71.79B	73.3%
Services & Other	$13.64B	13.9%
Energy & Storage	$12.45B	12.7%
Total	$97.88B	100%

Automotive$71.79B
Services & Other$13.64B
Energy & Storage$12.45B
Total$97.88B

Tesla (TSLA) Revenue by Geography — TTM through Q1 2026

Aggregated from the four quarterly disclosures behind this TTM. Minor differences vs the company's annual filing can occur if reported regions changed mid-year.

Revenue contribution by geographic region for Tesla (TSLA), TTM through Q1 2026
Region	Revenue (USD)	% of total
UNITED STATES	$47.97B	49%
Other Countries	$29.07B	29.7%
CHINA	$20.84B	21.3%
Total	$97.88B	100%

UNITED STATES
Other Countries
CHINA
Total

Revenue Breakdown — TTM through Q1 2026

In TTM through Q1 2026, Tesla (TSLA) reports revenue across 3 operating segments; the largest segment was Automotive at 73.3%, followed by Services & Other (13.9%) and Energy & Storage (12.7%). Separately, by end-market geography, UNITED STATES accounted for 49% of revenue, followed by Other Countries (29.7%) and CHINA (21.3%).

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