Leases - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Schedule Of Operating And Finance Leased Assets [Line Items]
Lessee, operating leases, existence of option to extend	true
Lessee, operating leases, existence of option to terminate	true
Lessee, finance lease, existence of option to extend	true
Lessee, finance lease, existence of option to terminate	true
Net investment in sales-type leases	$ 91,000,000	$ 0
Maximum [Member]
Schedule Of Operating And Finance Leased Assets [Line Items]
Lessee, operating lease, term	10 years
Lessee, finance lease, term	10 years

Schedule of operating and finance leased assets.

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	tsla_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Indicates (true false) whether lessee has option to extend finance lease.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121609121&loc=SL77918673-209980

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:booleanItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Indicates (true false) whether lessee has option to terminate finance lease.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LesseeFinanceLeaseExistenceOfOptionToTerminate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:booleanItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Term of lessee's finance lease, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121609121&loc=SL77918673-209980

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LesseeFinanceLeaseTermOfContract1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Indicates (true false) whether lessee has option to extend operating lease.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LesseeOperatingLeaseExistenceOfOptionToExtend
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:booleanItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Indicates (true false) whether lessee has option to terminate operating lease.

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:booleanItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Term of lessee's operating lease, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LesseeOperatingLeaseTermOfContract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of net investment in sales-type lease.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121576215&loc=SL77919379-209981

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

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