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 milion 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 .
