Tesla, Inc. R&D increased by 9.1% to $1.95B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 38.1%, from $1.41B to $1.95B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), R&D shows an upward trend with a 25.4% CAGR.
Analysis
StatementIncome Statement
SectionOperating Expenses
CategoryGrowth
SignalContext dependent
VolatilityModerate
First reportedQ1 2013
Last reportedQ1 2026Apr 23, 2026
How to read this metric
Higher spending signals a commitment to innovation and future product launches, whereas significant cuts may indicate a shift toward short-term profitability.
Detailed definition
Research and development expenses represent the costs incurred to discover new products, improve existing technologies,...
Peer comparison
Highly comparable across pharmaceutical and medical device peers, where R&D intensity is a key metric for long-term valuation.
Metric ID:
research_and_developmentHistorical Data
20 periods
| Q2 '21 | Q3 '21 | Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q4 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | Q1 '26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $576.00M | $611.00M | $740.00M | $865.00M | $667.00M | $733.00M | $810.00M | $771.00M | $943.00M | $1.16B | $1.09B | $1.15B | $1.07B | $1.04B | $1.28B | $1.41B | $1.59B | $1.63B | $1.78B | $1.95B |
| QoQ Change | — | +6.1% | +21.1% | +16.9% | -22.9% | +9.9% | +10.5% | -4.8% | +22.3% | +23.1% | -5.8% | +5.2% | -6.7% | -3.3% | +22.8% | +10.4% | +12.8% | +2.6% | +9.4% | +9.1% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +15.8% | +20.0% | +9.5% | -10.9% | +41.4% | +58.4% | +35.1% | +49.3% | +13.9% | -10.5% | +16.6% | +22.4% | +48.0% | +56.9% | +39.7% | +38.1% |
Range$576.00M – $1.95B
CAGR+29.2%
Avg YoY Growth+27.7%
Median YoY Growth+28.7%
Current Streak6 quarters growth
R&D at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Tesla, Inc.'s r&d?
- Tesla, Inc. (TSLA) reported r&d of $1.95B in Q1 2026.
- How has Tesla, Inc.'s r&d changed year-over-year?
- Tesla, Inc.'s r&d increased by 38.1% year-over-year, from $1.41B to $1.95B.
- What is the long-term trend for Tesla, Inc.'s r&d?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), Tesla, Inc.'s r&d has grown at a 25.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $2.59B to $6.41B.
- What does r&d mean?
- The money spent on creating new products or improving existing ones to drive future growth.