v3.20.4
Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Dec. 31, 2019
Dec. 31, 2018
Income Taxes [Line Items]      
Provision for income taxes $ 292,000,000 $ 110,000,000 $ 58,000,000
Deferred Tax Assets Valuation Allowance 2,930,000,000 1,956,000,000  
Deferred tax assets, net 2,018,000,000 1,454,000,000  
Research and development credits 624,000,000 486,000,000  
Deferred tax liability 0    
Unrecognized tax benefits, that would not affect effective tax rate $ 353,000,000    
Minimum [Member] | IRS [Member]      
Income Taxes [Line Items]      
Income tax examination, years 2015    
Maximum [Member] | IRS [Member]      
Income Taxes [Line Items]      
Income tax examination, years 2018    
Shanghai, China [Member]      
Income Taxes [Line Items]      
Corporate income tax rate to certain enterprises 15.00%    
Corporate income tax rate 25.00%    
Beneficial income tax rate 15.00%    
Foreign jurisdictions [Member]      
Income Taxes [Line Items]      
Deferred tax assets, net $ 260,000,000    
Federal [Member]      
Income Taxes [Line Items]      
Operating loss carry-forwards $ 9,650,000,000    
Operating loss carry-forwards beginning to expire in the year Dec. 31, 2024    
Research and development credits $ 417,000,000    
Research and development tax credits, federal carry-forwards expiration date 2024    
General business tax credit $ 167,000,000    
General business tax credits, beginning to expire in the year 2033    
Federal [Member] | Minimum [Member]      
Income Taxes [Line Items]      
Income tax examination, years 2004    
Federal [Member] | Maximum [Member]      
Income Taxes [Line Items]      
Income tax examination, years 2019    
State [Member]      
Income Taxes [Line Items]      
Operating loss carry-forwards $ 6,600,000,000    
Operating loss carry-forwards beginning to expire in the year Dec. 31, 2031    
Research and development credits $ 373,000,000    
California | Minimum [Member]      
Income Taxes [Line Items]      
Income tax examination, years 2004    
California | Maximum [Member]      
Income Taxes [Line Items]      
Income tax examination, years 2019    
U.S. and foreign jurisdictions [Member] | Minimum [Member]      
Income Taxes [Line Items]      
Income tax examination, years 2008    
U.S. and foreign jurisdictions [Member] | Maximum [Member]      
Income Taxes [Line Items]      
Income tax examination, years 2019    
Solar City      
Income Taxes [Line Items]      
Increase (Decrease) in valuation on deferred taxes $ 974,000,000 $ 150,000,000 $ (38,000,000)