• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

Tesla About To Spend Big On Model 3

By
Katie Fehrenbacher
Katie Fehrenbacher
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Katie Fehrenbacher
Katie Fehrenbacher
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 3, 2016, 4:42 PM ET
Fortune/Katie Fehrenbacher

As it moves closer to launching its Model 3 car by the end of next year, Tesla Motors will soon start to spend heavily to make enough cars for its customers.

In its second quarter earnings on Wednesday, the company said that its operating expenses over the next two quarters would increase so that its annual operating expenses would rise around 30%.

Tesla plans to spend about $2.25 billion on capital expenditures this year to be able to get its first Model 3’s to customers late next year and to make enough of the cars to meet the large demand.

Earlier this year, Tesla opened up reservations for the planned $35,000 car, and quickly racked up close to 400,000 reservations.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Tesla has been planning on making the lower cost car since the company was founded. Tesla’s three other cars have been much higher-end luxury electric vehicles.

Tesla is building a massive battery factory outside of Reno, Nev. so that it can make batteries cheap enough to power a $35,000 car. The company says the battery factory will make enough batteries by 2018 to power 500,000 cars.

To take a look inside Tesla’s Gigafactory watch our video.

Tesla’s revenue in the second quarter rose to $1.27 billion, from $954.98 million from the same quarter a year earlier. But losses also grew to $293.19 million in the quarter, much more than the $184.23 million it lost the year before.

The loss, which equaled $2.09 a share using generally accepted accounting principals, was bigger than analysts expected. The loss excluding certain expenses was $1.06 a share. Analysts expected an adjusted loss of 59 cents a share.

The company had operating expenses of $512.82 million for the second quarter, up from $383.56 million from the second quarter in 2o15. Capital expenditures for the quarter of $294.72 million were less than they were for the same quarter the year earlier, when they were $405.17 million.

Tesla raised $1.7 billion in a public offering earlier this year to help fund the launch and production of the Model 3.

About the Author
By Katie Fehrenbacher
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Trump Mobile quietly rewrote its fine print to say the gold Trump phone may never be made, a year after taking $100 deposits
North AmericaU.S. Politics
Trump Mobile quietly rewrote its fine print to say the gold Trump phone may never be made, a year after taking $100 deposits
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMay 11, 2026
4 hours ago
Nvidia co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang is driving a squeeze of memory chips.
AISemiconductors
Wall Street thinks memory is AI’s golden ticket. Harvard’s chip expert warns: ‘Curves that just go to the sky with no end…never continue forever’
By Eva RoytburgMay 11, 2026
7 hours ago
Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary wants to build a massive $100 billion data center in rural Utah. Residents are revolting
AIData centers
Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary wants to build a massive $100 billion data center in rural Utah. Residents are revolting
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMay 11, 2026
8 hours ago
Santa Clara County is suing Meta over allegations it profited from scam advertisements that particularly targeted seniors and families
LawMeta
Santa Clara County is suing Meta over allegations it profited from scam advertisements that particularly targeted seniors and families
By Catherina GioinoMay 11, 2026
8 hours ago
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang
Economyconstruction
Jensen Huang’s message to electricians and plumbers: ‘This is your time,’ as AI buildout leads to soaring demand for skilled trades
By Tristan BoveMay 11, 2026
10 hours ago
worker alone in empty office
Future of WorkTech
AI isn’t paying off in the way companies think. Layoffs driven by automation are failing to generate returns, study finds
By Jake AngeloMay 11, 2026
10 hours ago

Most Popular

Forget U.S. debt, China's total borrowing is in 'a league of its own'—much worse and deteriorating faster, analyst says
Economy
Forget U.S. debt, China's total borrowing is in 'a league of its own'—much worse and deteriorating faster, analyst says
By Jason MaMay 11, 2026
10 hours ago
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says Gen Z and millennials are using ChatGPT like a 'life advisor'—but college students might be one step ahead
Tech
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says Gen Z and millennials are using ChatGPT like a 'life advisor'—but college students might be one step ahead
By Sydney LakeMay 10, 2026
2 days ago
‘This is the way’: Elon Musk endorses Warren Buffett’s famed 5-minute plan to fix the national debt
Economy
‘This is the way’: Elon Musk endorses Warren Buffett’s famed 5-minute plan to fix the national debt
By Jacqueline MunisMay 10, 2026
2 days ago
Microsoft’s CFO admits she joined the tech giant without even knowing her salary—and then missed her first day of work
Success
Microsoft’s CFO admits she joined the tech giant without even knowing her salary—and then missed her first day of work
By Preston ForeMay 11, 2026
12 hours ago
Red flag test: former CEO explains why he rejects job candidates who say they can start right away
Success
Red flag test: former CEO explains why he rejects job candidates who say they can start right away
By Orianna Rosa RoyleMay 9, 2026
3 days ago
'Employers are increasingly turning to degree and GPA' in hiring: Recruiters retreat from ‘talent is everywhere,’ double down on top colleges
Future of Work
'Employers are increasingly turning to degree and GPA' in hiring: Recruiters retreat from ‘talent is everywhere,’ double down on top colleges
By Jake AngeloMay 9, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.