Business Combination - Narrative (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands			3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Jul. 21, 2021 USD ($) claim tranche $ / shares shares	Sep. 30, 2021 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Sep. 30, 2021 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Sep. 30, 2020 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($) shares	Sep. 09, 2021 $ / shares shares	Aug. 10, 2021 $ / shares shares	Jul. 20, 2021 USD ($)	Jun. 09, 2021 $ / shares shares
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Exchange ratio		0.14130
Proceeds from issuance of Class A Common Stock in the Business Combination		$ 229,583		$ 229,583	$ 0
Cash in the PSAC trust account at the Closing of the Business Combination		206,435
Redemptions		$ 206
Conversion ratio		1
Shares attributable to reverse recapitalization (in shares) | shares		244,293,395
Issued shares (in shares) | shares	134,795,128		134,795,128	134,795,128		157,100,184
Contingent consideration, earnout shares, number of tranches | tranche		2
Fair value of earnout shares		$ 293,853
Fair value of the private warrants	$ 1,153	2,152
Aggregate purchase price		761,400
Payments to settle liabilities		$ 139,557
Notes payable principal amounts	$ 203,123		$ 203,123	$ 203,123					$ 85,202
Notes payable accrued interest									7,435
Interests in the Vendor Trust									124,671
Payables									102,950
Purchase orders									8,380
Accrued interest on purchase orders									13,341
Amounts due to vendors									19,791
Amounts due to active and former employees									9,592
Loss upon extinguishment			$ (94,727)
Options outstanding (in shares) | shares		42,193,512
Conversion of assumed PSAC convertible and promissory notes payable into Class A Common Stock (in shares) | shares		80,000
Amount settled		$ 800
Total direct and incremental transaction costs		125,943
Amount expensed as part of the Business Combination		900
Equity issuance costs		$ 125,043
Total Issued and to be Issued Shares
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Issued shares (in shares) | shares	320,433,395		320,433,395	320,433,395		157,100,184
Outstanding shares (in shares) | shares	320,433,395		320,433,395	320,433,395
Related party notes payable | Affiliated Entity
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Notes payable, related parties									91,420
Notes payable, related parties, accrued interest									$ 13,581
Share price (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 10.00		$ 10.00	$ 10.00
Loss upon extinguishment			$ 26,164	$ 26,164
Earnout Shares, Tranche One
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Contingent consideration, earnout shares, stock price trigger | $ / shares		$ 13.50
Contingent consideration, earnout shares, period, threshold trading days | claim		20
Contingent consideration, earnout shares, threshold consecutive trading days | claim		30
Earnout Shares, Tranche Two
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Contingent consideration, earnout shares, stock price trigger | $ / shares		$ 15.50
Private Warrants
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Warrants (in shares) | shares		594,551
Warrants issued (in shares) | shares		80,000
US-Based Investment Firm Warrants
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Term of warrants										7 years
Aggregate shares able to be purchased from warrants issued (in shares) | shares								1,187,083
Exercise price (in dollars per share) | $ / shares								$ 10.00
Class A Common Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Conversion ratio	1	1	1	1
Issued shares (in shares) | shares	134,795,128		134,795,128	134,795,128
Contingent consideration, earnout shares (in shares) | shares		25,000,000
Warrants (in shares) | shares	28,196,377		28,196,377	28,196,377
Aggregate shares able to be purchased from warrants issued (in shares) | shares							1,187,083	272,730		1,500,000
Exercise price (in dollars per share) | $ / shares							$ 10.00			$ 10.00
Purchase price (in dollars per share) | $ / shares		$ 10.00
Number of shares purchased (in shares) | shares		76,140,000
Shares issued from reverse recapitalization (in shares) | shares		24,464,994
Reverse recapitalization, share price (in dollars per share) | $ / shares		$ 10.00
Share price (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 10.00		$ 10.00	$ 10.00
Conversion of assumed PSAC convertible and promissory notes payable into Class A Common Stock (in shares) | shares		80,000
Class A Common Stock | Earnout Shares, Tranche One
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Contingent consideration, earnout shares (in shares) | shares		12,500,000
Class A Common Stock | Earnout Shares, Tranche Two
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Contingent consideration, earnout shares (in shares) | shares		12,500,000
Class A Common Stock | Public Warrants
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Warrants (in shares) | shares	22,977,568	22,977,568	22,977,568	22,977,568
Term of warrants	5 years		5 years	5 years
Exercise price (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 11.50		$ 11.50	$ 11.50
Class A Common Stock | Private Warrants
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Warrants (in shares) | shares	674,551		674,551	674,551
Exercise price (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 11.50		$ 11.50	$ 11.50
Class A Common Stock | US-Based Investment Firm Warrants
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Aggregate shares able to be purchased from warrants issued (in shares) | shares		2,687,083						1,500,000
Exercise price (in dollars per share) | $ / shares		$ 10.00						$ 10.00
Common stock, shares issuable (in shares) | shares		44,880,595
Class A Common Stock | PSAC Warrants
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Exercise price (in dollars per share) | $ / shares		$ 11.50
Class A Common Stock | Legacy FF Shareholders
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Shares attributable to reverse recapitalization (in shares) | shares		127,949,403		127,949,403
Class B Common Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Conversion ratio	1	1	1	1
Class B Common Stock | Legacy FF Shareholders
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Shares attributable to reverse recapitalization (in shares) | shares		64,000,588		64,000,588
Redeemable Preferred Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Amount reclassified						$ 724,823
Class B Redeemable Preferred Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Amount reclassified						697,643
Class A-1 Convertible Preferred Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Exchange ratio		0.14130
Amount reclassified						119,047
Class A-1 Convertible Preferred Stock | Legacy FF Shareholders
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Shares attributable to reverse recapitalization (in shares) | shares				10,358,162
Class A-2 Convertible Preferred Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Exchange ratio		0.14130
Amount reclassified						271,925
Class A-2 Convertible Preferred Stock | Legacy FF Shareholders
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Shares attributable to reverse recapitalization (in shares) | shares				19,603,624
Class A-3 Convertible Preferred Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Exchange ratio		0.14130
Amount reclassified						$ 2,199
Class A-3 Convertible Preferred Stock | Legacy FF Shareholders
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Shares attributable to reverse recapitalization (in shares) | shares				181,143