Indebtedness - Additional Information (Detail)									1 Months Ended														12 Months Ended
	Jul. 14, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 23, 2016	Dec. 16, 2015 USD ($)	Oct. 10, 2014 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Feb. 04, 2014	Oct. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Feb. 29, 2016 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2016	Jan. 21, 2016 USD ($)	Aug. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) $ / shares $ / Derivative	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) shares	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 16, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 08, 2016 USD ($)	May 02, 2016 USD ($)	Jan. 09, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 23, 2014 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Capped call option agreement notional amount																									$ 65,203,000
Convertible senior notes issued to related parties																							$ 11,669,000	$ 12,975,000
Repayments of long-term debt																							866,946,000	$ 215,933,000	336,557,000
2.75% convertible senior notes due in 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt principal issued								$ 230,000,000
Proceeds from convertible debt								$ 222,500,000
Debt instrument maturity date								Nov. 01, 2018
Interest Rate								2.75%
Convertible senior notes, conversion amount																							$ 1,000
Convertible senior notes, conversion ratio																							1.7838
Convertible senior notes, conversion price | $ / shares																							$ 560.60
Convertible senior notes, description																							The convertible senior notes do not have a cash conversion option. The convertible senior note holders may require the Company to repurchase their convertible senior notes for cash only under certain defined fundamental changes.
2.75% convertible senior notes due in 2018 [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Convertible senior notes, conversion ratio																							2.3635
2.75% convertible senior notes due in 2018 [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Convertible senior notes, conversion price | $ / shares																							$ 423.10
1.625% convertible senior notes due in 2019 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt principal issued					$ 66,000,000
Proceeds from convertible debt					$ 64,500,000
Debt instrument maturity date						Nov. 01, 2019
Interest Rate																															1.625%
Convertible senior notes issued date					Oct. 10, 2014
Capped call option agreement notional amount					$ 7,600,000														$ 57,600,000
Capped call options, specification																								(i) the lower of $1,146.18 or the then market price of Tesla’s common stock less (ii) $759.36 and divided by (b) the then market price of Tesla’s common stock. The results of this formula are that the Company would receive more shares as the market price of Tesla’s common stock exceeds $759.36 and approaches $1,146.18,
Cap price | $ / Derivative																							1,146.18
Initial strike price | $ / Derivative																							759.36
1.625% convertible senior notes due in 2019 [Member] | Total Parent's Equity [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Convertible senior notes, conversion amount																							$ 1,000
Convertible senior notes, conversion ratio																							1.3169
Convertible senior notes, conversion price | $ / shares																							$ 759.36
Convertible senior notes, description																							The convertible senior note holders may require the Company to repurchase their convertible senior notes for cash only under certain defined fundamental changes.
Shares received upon the exercise of the capped call options | shares																								745,377
1.625% convertible senior notes due in 2019 [Member] | Private placement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt principal issued																															$ 500,000,000
Proceeds from convertible debt						$ 488,300,000
1.625% convertible senior notes due in 2019 [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative, Expiry date																							Oct. 29, 2019
1.625% convertible senior notes due in 2019 [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Total Parent's Equity [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Convertible senior notes, conversion ratio																							1.7449
1.625% convertible senior notes due in 2019 [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative, Expiry date																							Sep. 04, 2019
1.625% convertible senior notes due in 2019 [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Total Parent's Equity [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Convertible senior notes, conversion price | $ / shares																							$ 573.10
Zero-Coupon Convertible Senior Notes Due in 2020 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument maturity date																							Dec. 01, 2020
Convertible senior notes issued to related parties																							$ 13,000,000
Zero-Coupon Convertible Senior Notes Due in 2020 [Member] | Total Parent's Equity [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Convertible senior notes, conversion amount																							$ 1,000
Convertible senior notes, conversion ratio																							3.3333
Convertible senior notes, conversion price | $ / shares																							$ 300.00
Debt instrument redeemed description																							the convertible senior notes will be redeemable by the Company in the event that the closing price of Tesla’s common stock exceeds 200% of the conversion price for 45 consecutive trading days ending within three trading days of such redemption notice at a redemption price of par plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date.
Zero-Coupon Convertible Senior Notes Due in 2020 [Member] | Private placement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt principal issued																							$ 113,000,000
Proceeds from convertible debt																							$ 112,800,000
Zero-Coupon Convertible Senior Notes Due in 2020 [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Total Parent's Equity [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Convertible senior notes, conversion ratio																							4.2308
Zero-Coupon Convertible Senior Notes Due in 2020 [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Total Parent's Equity [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Convertible senior notes, conversion price | $ / shares																							$ 236.36
Solar Bonds [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument redeemed description																							the Company commenced issuing Solar Bonds with variable interest rates that reset quarterly and that can be redeemed quarterly at the option of the bondholder or the Company, with 30-day advance notice
Proceeds from issuance of solar bonds issued to related parties																							$ 265,010,000	$ 165,020,000	$ 530,000
Solar bonds due in March 2016 [Member] | Space Exploration Technologies Corporation [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument maturity date																							Mar. 31, 2016
Interest Rate		2.00%										2.00%						2.00%
Proceeds from issuance of solar bonds issued to related parties																		$ 90,000,000
Solar bonds due in March 2017 [Member] | Space Exploration Technologies Corporation [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument maturity date																							Mar. 31, 2017
Interest Rate		4.40%										4.40%
Proceeds from issuance of solar bonds issued to related parties												$ 90,000,000
Solar bonds due in June 2016 [Member] | Space Exploration Technologies Corporation [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument maturity date																							Jun. 30, 2016
Interest Rate		2.00%										2.00%					2.00%
Proceeds from issuance of solar bonds issued to related parties																	$ 75,000,000
Solar bonds due in June 2017 [Member] | Space Exploration Technologies Corporation [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument maturity date																							Jun. 30, 2017
Interest Rate											4.40%
Proceeds from issuance of solar bonds issued to related parties											$ 75,000,000
Solar bonds due in February 2018 [Member] | Chairman of the Company's board of directors, the Company's Chief Executive Officer and the Company's Chief Technology Officer [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument maturity date										Feb. 28, 2018
Interest Rate										6.50%
Proceeds from issuance of solar bonds issued to related parties										$ 100,000,000
Term loan due in May 2016 [Member] | May 23, 2014 agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, interest rate terms																							Company’s option, plus the highest of (i) the Federal Funds Rate plus 0.50%, (ii) Bank of America’s published “prime rate” or (iii) LIBOR plus 1.00%
Term loan due in May 2016 [Member] | Maximum [Member] | May 23, 2014 agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis interest rate																							4.00%
Term loan due in May 2016 [Member] | Minimum [Member] | May 23, 2014 agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis interest rate																							3.00%
Term loan due in December 2016 [Member] | February 4, 2014 agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, interest rate terms																							Company’s option, 3.25% plus the highest of (i) the Federal Funds Rate plus 0.50%, (ii) Bank of America’s published “prime rate” or (iii) LIBOR plus 1.00%.
Term loan due in December 2017 [Member] | March 31, 2016 agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis interest rate		3.25%
Percentage of fee for undrawn commitments		0.85%
Term loan due in January 2021 [Member] | January 2016, agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayments of long-term debt																							$ 4,400,000
MyPower revolving credit facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayments of long-term debt									$ 133,800,000
Revolving aggregation credit facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility interest rate terms																							The revolving aggregation credit facility bears interest at an annual rate of 3.25% plus (i) for commercial paper loans, the commercial paper rate and (ii) for LIBOR loans, at the Company’s option, three-month LIBOR or daily LIBOR.
Basis interest rate			3.25%
Solar Renewable Energy Credit Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility interest rate terms																							Company’s option, 8.00% plus the highest of (i) the Federal Funds Rate plus 0.50%, (ii) the prime rate or (iii) one-month LIBOR plus 1.00%.
Basis interest rate		9.00%
Solar Renewable Energy Credit Term Loan [Member] | Second Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility interest rate terms																							Company’s option, 4.75% plus the highest of (i) the Federal Funds Rate plus 0.50%, (ii) the prime rate or (iii) one-month LIBOR plus 1.00%.
Repayments of long-term debt																							$ 18,600,000
Solar Renewable Energy Credit Term Loan [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis interest rate		8.00%
Solar Renewable Energy Credit Term Loan [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Second Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis interest rate	4.75%
Cash Equity Debt - I [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt principal issued																													$ 121,700,000
Interest Rate																													5.65%
Cash Equity Debt - II [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt principal issued																												$ 210,000,000
Interest Rate																												5.25%
Cash Equity Debt - III [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt principal issued																										$ 170,000,000
Interest Rate																										5.81%
Solar Asset-backed Notes, Series 2013-1 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt principal issued																						$ 54,400,000
Collateral value of solar assets																							133,000,000
Debt discount percentage																						0.05%
Lease pass-through financing obligation [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Lease financing obligations																							56,400,000
Lease financing obligation termination																							40,200,000
Solar Asset-backed Notes, Series 2014-1 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt principal issued																					$ 70,200,000
Collateral value of solar assets																							124,800,000
Debt discount percentage																					0.01%
Solar Asset-backed Notes, Series 2014-2 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Collateral value of solar assets																							265,700,000
Debt discount percentage																				0.01%
Solar Asset-backed Notes, Series 2016-1 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt principal issued													$ 52,200,000
Collateral value of solar assets																							$ 71,700,000
Debt discount percentage													6.71%
LIBOR [Member] | Term loan due in December 2016 [Member] | February 4, 2014 agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis interest rate							3.25%
LIBOR [Member] | Term loan due in January 2021 [Member] | January 2016, agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis interest rate														3.50%
Federal Funds Rate [Member] | Term loan due in May 2016 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis interest rate																							0.50%
Federal Funds Rate [Member] | Solar Renewable Energy Credit Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis interest rate		0.50%
Federal Funds Rate [Member] | Solar Renewable Energy Credit Term Loan [Member] | Second Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis interest rate	0.50%
LIBOR Option 2 [Member] | Solar Renewable Energy Credit Term Loan [Member] | Second Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis interest rate	5.75%
Class A [Member] | MyPower revolving credit facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate																							2.50%
Class A [Member] | Solar Asset-backed Notes, Series 2014-2 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt principal issued																				$ 160,000,000
Class A [Member] | Solar Asset-backed Notes, Series 2015-1 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt principal issued																$ 103,500,000
Debt discount percentage																0.05%
Class A [Member] | Solar Loan-backed Notes, Series 2016-A [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt principal issued															$ 151,600,000
Debt discount percentage															3.22%
Class B [Member] | Solar Asset-backed Notes, Series 2014-2 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt principal issued																				$ 41,500,000
Class B [Member] | Solar Asset-backed Notes, Series 2015-1 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt principal issued																$ 20,000,000
Debt discount percentage																1.46%
Class B [Member] | Solar Loan-backed Notes, Series 2016-A [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt principal issued															$ 33,400,000
Debt discount percentage															15.90%
Revolving credit facility [Member] | MyPower revolving credit facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility interest rate terms																							Company entered into a $200.0 million revolving credit agreement with a syndicate of banks to obtain funding for the MyPower customer loan program. The MyPower revolving credit facility initially provided up to $160.0 million of Class A notes and up to $40.0 million of Class B notes. On December 16, 2015, the committed amount under the Class A notes was increased to $200.0 million. On September 30, 2016, the committed amount under the Class A notes was decreased to $155.0 million, and the committed amount under the Class B notes was decreased to $35.0 million. The Class A notes bear interest at an annual rate of 2.50% plus (a) the commercial paper rate or (b) 1.50% plus adjusted LIBOR.
Maximum amount to be borrowed																														$ 200,000,000
Revolving credit facility [Member] | LIBOR [Member] | MyPower revolving credit facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis interest rate																							1.50%
Revolving credit facility [Member] | Class A [Member] | MyPower revolving credit facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility interest rate terms																							The fee for undrawn commitments under the Class A notes is 0.50% per annum
Percentage of fee for undrawn commitments																							0.50%
Debt principal issued																														160,000,000
Maximum amount to be borrowed				$ 200,000,000																							$ 155,000,000
Revolving credit facility [Member] | Class B [Member] | MyPower revolving credit facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility interest rate terms																							The fee for undrawn commitments under the Class B notes is 0.50% per annum.
Basis interest rate				5.00%
Debt principal issued																											$ 35,000,000			$ 40,000,000
Syndicated revolving bank agreement [Member] | LIBOR Option 2 [Member] | Solar Renewable Energy Credit Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis interest rate		1.00%
Syndicated revolving bank agreement [Member] | LIBOR Option 2 [Member] | Solar Renewable Energy Credit Term Loan [Member] | Second Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis interest rate	1.00%
Syndicated revolving bank agreement [Member] | Secured revolving credit facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility interest rate terms																							The Company has entered into a revolving credit agreement with a syndicate of banks to fund working capital, letters of credit and general corporate needs. Borrowed funds bear interest, at the Company’s option, at an annual rate of (a) 3.25% plus LIBOR or (b) 2.25% plus the highest of (i) the federal funds rate plus 0.50%, (ii) Bank of America’s published “prime rate” or (iii) LIBOR plus 1.00%.
Basis interest rate																							2.25%
Percentage of fee for undrawn commitments																							0.375%
Syndicated revolving bank agreement [Member] | Secured revolving credit facility [Member] | LIBOR [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis interest rate																							3.25%
Syndicated revolving bank agreement [Member] | Secured revolving credit facility [Member] | Federal Funds Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis interest rate																							0.50%
Syndicated revolving bank agreement [Member] | Secured revolving credit facility [Member] | LIBOR Option 2 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis interest rate																							1.00%
Syndicated revolving bank agreement [Member] | Revolving credit facility [Member] | LIBOR Option 2 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis interest rate																							1.00%