Tesla, Inc. - Quarter Report: 2016 September (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2016

OR

Commission File Number: 001-34756

Tesla Motors, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(650) 681-5000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

As of October 25, 2016, there were 149,891,190 shares of the registrant’s Common Stock outstanding.

TESLA MOTORS, INC.

FORM 10-Q FOR THE QUARTER ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

INDEX

Forward-Looking Statements

The discussions in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contain forward-looking statements reflecting our current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning our strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenues, future profitability, future delivery of automobiles, projected costs, expectations regarding demand and acceptance for our technologies, future acquisitions, growth opportunities and trends in the market in which we operate, prospects, plans and objectives of management and the statements made below under the heading “Management Opportunities, Challenges and Risks.” The words “anticipates”, “believes”, “could”, “estimates”, “expects”, “intends”, “may”, “might”, “plans”, “projects”, “will”, “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements that we make. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, the risks set forth in Part II, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Tesla Motors, Inc.

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(in thousands, except per share data)

(unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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Tesla Motors, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(in thousands, except per share data)

(Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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Tesla Motors, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss)

(in thousands)

(Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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Tesla Motors, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(in thousands)

(Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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Tesla Motors, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

Note 1 - Overview of the Company

Tesla Motors, Inc. (Tesla, we, us or our) was incorporated in the state of Delaware on July 1, 2003. We design, develop, manufacture and sell high-performance fully electric vehicles and energy products. We have wholly-owned subsidiaries in North America, Europe and Asia. The primary purpose of these subsidiaries is to market, manufacture, sell and/or service our vehicles and energy products.

Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Public Offering

In May 2016, we completed a public offering of common stock and sold a total of 7,915,004 shares of our common stock for total cash proceeds of approximately $1.7 billion, net of underwriting discounts and offering costs.

Acquisition

On July 31, 2016, we entered into a definitive agreement to acquire SolarCity Corporation, which designs, finances and installs solar power systems. Pursuant to the definitive agreement, each issued and outstanding share of the common stock of SolarCity would be converted into the right to receive 0.110 (the Exchange Ratio) shares of Tesla common stock. SolarCity options and restricted stock unit awards would be converted into corresponding equity awards in respect of Tesla common stock based on the Exchange Ratio, with the awards retaining the same vesting and other terms and conditions as in effect immediately prior to consummation of the Merger. This acquisition is subject to various closing conditions, including the receipt by each company, at a separate meeting of its stockholders scheduled to take place on November 17, 2016, of the affirmative vote of at least the minimum number of its non-interested stockholders as specified in the definitive agreement.

Basis of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Tesla and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. Intercompany balances and transactions between consolidated entities have been eliminated.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent liabilities and accompanying notes.  Estimates are used for, but not limited to, determining the selling price of products and services in multiple element revenue arrangements and determining the amortization period of these elements, residual value of operating lease vehicles, inventory valuation, warranties, fair value of financial instruments, depreciable lives of property and equipment, inputs used to value stock-based compensation including volatility, expected terms of stock option awards and forfeiture rates, income taxes, and contingencies. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Unaudited Interim Financial Statements

The accompanying consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2016, the consolidated statements of operations and consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss) for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015 and the consolidated statements of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, and other information disclosed in the related notes are unaudited. The consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2015, was derived from our audited consolidated financial statements at that date. The accompanying consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes contained in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The accompanying interim consolidated financial statements and related disclosures have been prepared on the same basis as the annual consolidated financial statements and, in the opinion of management, reflect all adjustments, which include only normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the results of operations for the periods presented. The consolidated results of operations for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year or for any other future year or interim period.

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Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued an Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-09,  Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which amends the existing accounting standards for revenue recognition. The new guidance provides a new model to determine when and over what period revenue is recognized. Under this new model, revenue is recognized as goods or services are delivered in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to collect.  In March 2016, the FASB issued an ASU, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net), which clarifies the principal versus agent guidance in the new revenue recognition standard. In April 2016, the FASB issued an ASU, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing, which clarifies the guidance on accounting for licenses of intellectual property and identifying performance obligations in the new revenue recognition standard. In May 2016, the FASB issued an ASU, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedient, which clarifies the transition, collectability, noncash consideration and the presentation of sales and other similar taxes in the new revenue recognition standard. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017; early adoption is permitted for periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The new standard is required to be applied retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented or retrospectively with the cumulative effect of initially applying it recognized at the date of initial application. We have not yet selected a transition method and are evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance.

In August 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. ASU 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements – Going Concern: Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern (“ASU 2014-15”). ASU 2014-15 requires management to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern and, if so, provide certain footnote disclosures. ASU 2014-15 is effective for annual periods ending after December 15, 2016, including interim reporting periods thereafter. We do not anticipate that adopting this guidance will have an impact on the financial statements and are currently evaluating the potential impact to our footnote disclosures.

In April 2015, the FASB issued new authoritative accounting guidance on simplifying the presentation of debt issuance costs, which requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. We have retrospectively adopted this standard as of March 31, 2016, and as a result, on the December 31, 2015, consolidated balance sheet we reclassified $9.6 million as a reduction in prepaid expenses and other current assets, along with $15.0 million reduction in other assets, with a corresponding reduction in the aggregate carrying value of the Company’s long term debt liabilities. Similarly, as a result of the change in carrying value of long term debt, $5.2 million was reclassified out of additional paid in capital and into mezzanine equity on the December 31, 2015 consolidated balance sheet.

In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016 - 02, Leases (Topic 842). The new standard is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018 and early adoption is permitted. The standard will require lessees to report most leases as assets and liabilities on the balance sheet, while lessor accounting will remain substantially unchanged. The standard requires a modified retrospective transition approach for existing leases, whereby the new rules will be applied to the earliest year presented. We are currently evaluating the potential impact of adopting this guidance on our consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-09, Compensation — Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting (“ASU 2016-09”). ASU 2016-09 simplifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. For public entities, ASU 2016-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the potential impact of adopting this guidance on our consolidated financial statements.

In August 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows: Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (Topic 230).  ASU 2016-15 addresses the following eight specific cash flow issues: Debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs; settlement of zero-coupon debt instruments or other debt instruments with coupon interest rates that are insignificant in relation to the effective interest rate of the borrowing; contingent consideration payments made after a business combination; proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims; proceeds from the settlement of corporate-owned life insurance policies (including bank-owned life insurance policies); distributions received from equity method investees; beneficial interests in securitization transactions; and separately identifiable cash flows and application of the predominance principle. ASU 2016-15 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted.  We are currently evaluating the potential impact of adopting this guidance on our consolidated financial statements.

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Revenue Recognition

We recognize revenue for products and services when: (i) a persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; (ii) delivery has occurred and there are no uncertainties regarding customer acceptance; (iii) pricing or fees are fixed or determinable; and (iv) collection is reasonably assured.

Automotive revenue includes revenues related to deliveries of new vehicles, sales of regulatory credits to other automotive manufacturers, and specific other elements that meet the definition of a deliverable under multiple-element accounting guidance including free internet connectivity, free access to our Supercharger network, and free future over the air software updates. These deliverables are valued on a stand-alone basis and we recognize their revenue over our performance period, which is generally the eight-year life of the vehicle, except for internet connectivity which is over the free four year period. If we sell a deliverable separately, we use that pricing to determine its fair value; otherwise, we use our best estimated selling price by considering costs used to develop and deliver the service, third party pricing of similar options, and other information which may be available.

Starting in the third quarter of 2016, we started to separately present automotive leasing revenue and related cost of revenue. All prior periods have been reclassified to conform to this presentation.  Automotive leasing revenue includes revenue recognized under lease accounting guidance for our direct leasing programs as well as programs with resale value guarantees. See “Resale Value Guarantees and Other Financing Programs” and “Vehicle Leasing Program” for further details.

Services and other revenue consists of repair and maintenance services, service plans and merchandise, sales of pre-owned Tesla vehicles, sales of electric vehicle powertrain components and systems to other manufacturers, Tesla Energy products, and sales of non-Tesla vehicle trade-ins.

As of September 30, 2016, we had deferred $57.5 million, $84.7 million, $52.7 million, and $8.0 million related to the purchase of vehicle maintenance and service plans, access to our Supercharger network, internet connectivity, and future software updates, respectively. As of December 31, 2015, we had deferred $53.6 million, $49.5 million, $32.4 million, and $2.7 million related to these same performance obligations, respectively.

Resale Value Guarantees and Other Financing Programs

Vehicle sales to customers with a residual value guarantee    

Through June 30, 2016, we offered resale value guarantees or similar buy-back terms to all customers who purchase vehicles and who financed their vehicle through one of our specified commercial banking partners. Subsequent to June 30, 2016, this program is available only in certain international markets.  Under this program, customers have the option of selling their vehicle back to us during the guarantee period for a determined resale value. Guarantee periods generally range from 36 to 39 months.  Although we receive full payment for the vehicle sales price at the time of delivery, we are required to account for these transactions as operating leases.  The amount of sale proceeds equal to the resale value guarantee is deferred until the guarantee expires or is exercised.  The remaining sale proceeds are deferred and recognized on a straight line basis over the stated guarantee period to automotive leasing revenue. The guarantee period expires at the earlier of the end of the guarantee period or the pay-off of the initial loan.  We capitalize the cost of these vehicles to operating lease vehicles on our Consolidated Balance Sheets as operating lease vehicles, net, and depreciate their value, less salvage value, to cost of automotive leasing revenue over the same period.  

In cases when a customer retains ownership of a vehicle at the end of the guarantee period, the resale value guarantee liability and any remaining deferred revenue balances related to the vehicle are settled to automotive leasing revenue and the net book value of the leased vehicle is expensed to costs of automotive leasing revenue. In cases when customers return the vehicle back to us during the guarantee period, we purchase the vehicle from the customer in an amount equal to the resale value guarantee and settle any remaining deferred balances to automotive leasing revenue and we reclassify the net book value of the vehicle on our balance sheet to pre-owned vehicle inventory. As of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, $204.1 million and $136.8 million of the guarantees were exercisable by customers within the next twelve months.

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Vehicle sales to leasing partners with a residual value guarantee

We also offer resale value guarantees in connection with automobile sales to certain bank leasing partners.  As we have guaranteed the value of these vehicles and as the vehicles are leased to end-customers, we account for these transactions as interest bearing collateralized borrowings as required under ASC 840 - Leases.  Under this program, cash is received for the full price of the vehicle and is recorded within resale value guarantees for the long-term portion and deferred revenue for the current portion.  We accrete the deferred revenue amount to automotive leasing revenue on a straight line basis over the guarantee period and accrue interest expense based on our borrowing rate.  We capitalize vehicles under this program to operating lease vehicles, net, on our Consolidated Balance Sheets and we record depreciation from these vehicles to cost of automotive leasing revenues during the period the vehicle is under a lease arrangement.  Cash received for these vehicles, net of revenue recognized during the period, is classified as collateralized lease borrowings within cash flows from financing activities in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

At the end of the lease term, we settle our liability in cash by either purchasing the vehicle from the leasing partner for the resale value guarantee amount, or paying a shortfall to the guarantee amount the leasing partner may realize on the sale of the vehicle.  Any remaining balances within deferred revenue and resale value guarantee will be settled to automotive revenue.  In cases where the bank retains ownership of the vehicle after the end of our guarantee period, we expense the net value of the leased vehicle to costs of automotive leasing revenue.  The maximum cash we could be required to pay under this program, should we decide to repurchase all vehicles, is $742.0 million at September 30, 2016.

As of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, we had $1.0 billion and $527.5 million of such borrowings recorded in resale value guarantees and $250.4 million and $120.5 million recorded in deferred revenue liability, respectively. As of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, we had a total of $79.5 million and $33.6 million in account receivables from our leasing partners.

On a quarterly basis, we assess the estimated market values of vehicles under our resale value guarantee program to determine if we have sustained a loss on any of these contracts. As we accumulate more data related to the resale values of our vehicles or as market conditions change, there may be material changes to their estimated values.

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Account activity related to our resale value guarantee and similar programs consisted of the following for the periods presented (in thousands):

Vehicle Leasing Program

We offer a leasing program in the United States, Canada, the UK and Germany. Qualifying customers are permitted to lease a vehicle directly from Tesla generally for 36 or 48 months. At the end of the lease term, customers have the option of either returning the vehicle to us or purchasing it for a determined residual value. We account for these leasing transactions as operating leases and recognize leasing revenues over the contractual term and record the depreciation of these vehicles to cost of automotive leasing revenues. As of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, we had deferred $61.6 million and $25.8 million of lease-related upfront payments which will be recognized on a straight-line basis over the contractual term of the individual leases. Lease revenues are recorded in automotive leasing revenue and were $31.4 million and $72.0 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016. Lease revenues for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, were $11.5 million and $27.4 million, respectively.

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Warranties

We provide a manufacturer’s warranty on all new and certified pre-owned vehicles, production powertrain components and systems, and energy products we sell.  We accrue a manufacturer’s warranty reserve which includes our best estimate of the projected costs to repair or to replace items under warranty. These estimates are based on actual claims incurred to-date and an estimate of the nature, frequency and costs of future claims. These estimates are inherently uncertain and changes to our historical or projected warranty experience may cause material changes to our warranty reserve in the future. The portion of the warranty provision expected to be incurred within 12 months is classified as current within accrued liabilities, while the remaining amount is classified as long-term within other long-term liabilities.

Accrued warranty activity consisted of the following for the periods presented (in thousands):

Our warranty reserves do not include projected warranty costs associated with our vehicles subject to lease accounting, as costs to repair these vehicles are expensed as incurred. The warranty reserve increased primarily due to incremental vehicle deliveries, offset by actual claims and an overall decrease in accrual rates for vehicles, batteries, and drive units due to improved reliability. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, warranty costs incurred for vehicles subject to lease accounting were $7.2 million and $12.3 million, and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, costs were $1.8 million and $6.0 million. Warranty expense is recorded as a component of cost of automotive revenue and cost of automotive leasing revenue.  

Inventory Valuation

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost is computed using standard cost, which approximates actual cost on a first-in, first-out basis. We record inventory write-downs for excess or obsolete inventories based upon assumptions about current and future demand forecasts. If our inventory on hand is in excess of our future demand forecast, the excess amounts are written off.

We also review inventory to determine whether its carrying value exceeds the net amount realizable upon the ultimate sale of the inventory. This requires us to determine the estimated selling price of our vehicles less the estimated cost to convert inventory on hand into a finished product. After inventory is written-down, a new, lower-cost basis for that inventory is established and subsequent changes in facts and circumstances do not result in the restoration or increase in that newly established cost basis.

Should our estimates of future selling prices or production costs change, additional and potentially material increases to this reserve may be required. A small change in our estimates may result in a material charge to our reported financial results.

Concentration of Risk

Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject us to a concentration of credit risk consist of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and accounts receivable. Our cash equivalents are primarily invested in money market funds with high credit quality financial institutions in the United States. At times, these deposits and securities may be in excess of insured limits. We invest cash not required for use in operations in high credit quality securities based on our investment policy. Our investment policy provides guidelines and limits regarding credit quality, investment concentration, investment type, and maturity that we believe will provide liquidity while reducing risk of loss of capital. Our investments are currently of a short-term nature and include U.S. treasury bills.

As of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, our accounts receivable were derived primarily from amounts to be received from financial institutions and leasing companies offering various financing products to our customers, sales of regulatory credits, as well as the development and sales of powertrain components and systems to automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).  As of September 30, 2016, we have two customers who individually account for 17% and 14% of our accounts receivable, respectively. 

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Supply Risk

The majority of our suppliers are currently single source suppliers, despite efforts to qualify and obtain components from multiple sources whenever feasible. The loss of any single or limited source supplier or the disruption in the supply of components from these suppliers could lead to vehicle design changes, increased costs and delays in vehicle deliveries to our customers, which could hurt our relationships with our customers and result in negative publicity, damage to our brand and a material and adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.

Stock-Based Compensation

We use the fair value method of accounting for our stock options and restricted stock units (RSUs) granted to employees and our Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) to measure the cost of employee services received in exchange for the stock-based awards. The fair value of stock options and ESPP are estimated on the grant date and offering date using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The fair value of RSUs is measured on the grant date based on the closing fair market value of our common stock. The resulting cost is recognized over the service period, which is generally four years for stock options and RSUs and six months for the ESPP. Stock-based compensation expense is recognized on a straight-line basis, net of estimated forfeitures.

For performance-based awards, stock-based compensation expense is recognized over the expected performance achievement period of individual performance milestones when the achievement of each individual performance milestone becomes probable.

For performance-based awards with a vesting schedule based entirely on the attainment of both performance and market conditions, stock-based compensation expense is recognized for each pair of performance and market conditions over the longer of the implicit or derived service period of the performance and market conditions, beginning at the point in time that the relevant performance condition is considered probable of being met.

Derivative Financial Instruments

In November 2015, we implemented a program to hedge the foreign currency exposure risk related to certain forecasted inventory purchases denominated in Japanese yen.  The derivative instruments we use are foreign currency forward contracts and are designated as cash flow hedges with maturity dates of 12 months or less. We do not enter into derivative contracts for trading or speculative purposes.  

The bank counterparties in all contracts expose Tesla to credit-related losses in the event of their nonperformance. However, to mitigate that risk, Tesla only contracts with counterparties who meet the Company’s minimum requirements under its counterparty risk assessment process. Tesla monitors ratings, credit spreads, and potential downgrades on at least a quarterly basis. Based on our on-going assessment of counterparty risk, the Company will adjust its exposure to various counterparties. We generally enter into master netting arrangements, which reduce credit risk by permitting net settlement of transactions with the same counterparty. However, we do not have any master netting arrangements in place with collateral features.

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Comprehensive income (loss) is comprised of net income (loss) and other comprehensive income (loss). Other comprehensive income (loss) consists of unrealized gains and losses on derivatives, net of any reclassifications, our available-for-sale marketable securities, and foreign currency translation adjustment that have been excluded from the determination of net income (loss).

Net Income (Loss) per Share of Common Stock

Our basic and diluted net income (loss) per share of common stock is calculated by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding for the period. Potentially dilutive shares, which are based on the number of shares underlying outstanding stock options and warrants as well as our convertible senior notes, are not included when their effect is antidilutive.

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The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net income (loss) per share for the three months ended September 30, 2016 (in thousands, except per share amounts):

The following table presents the potential weighted common shares outstanding that were excluded from the computation of diluted net income (loss) per share of common stock for the periods presented:

Since we expect to settle the principal amount of our outstanding convertible senior notes in cash, we use the treasury stock method for calculating any potential dilutive effect of the conversion spread on diluted net income per share, if applicable. The conversion spread will have a dilutive impact on diluted net income per share of common stock when the average market price of our common stock for a given period exceeds the conversion price of $124.52, $359.87 and $359.87 per share for the convertible senior notes due 2018 (2018 Notes), convertible senior notes due 2019 (2019 Notes), and convertible senior notes due 2021 (2021 Notes).

Income Taxes

There are transactions that occur during the ordinary course of business for which the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. As of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the aggregate balances of our gross unrecognized tax benefits were $162.8 million and $99.3 million. $158.1 million and $95.7 million of these aggregate balances would not give rise to changes in our effective tax rate since these tax benefits would increase a deferred tax asset which is currently offset by a full valuation allowance.

Note 3 - Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The carrying values of our financial instruments including cash equivalents, marketable securities, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and accrued liabilities approximate their fair value due to their short-term nature. As a basis for determining the fair value of certain of our assets and liabilities, we follow a three-tier fair value hierarchy which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows: (Level I) observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets; (Level II) inputs other than the quoted prices in active markets that are observable either directly or indirectly; and (Level III) unobservable inputs in which there is little or no market data which requires us to develop our own assumptions. This hierarchy requires us to use observable market data, when available, and to minimize the use of unobservable inputs when determining fair value. Our financial assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis consist of cash equivalents and marketable securities.

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All of our cash equivalents and current restricted cash, which are comprised primarily of money market funds, are classified within Level I of the fair value hierarchy because they are valued using quoted market prices or market prices for identical securities. Our restricted short-term marketable securities are classified within Level I of the fair value hierarchy.

As of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the fair value hierarchy for our financial assets that are carried at fair value was as follows (in thousands), and unrealized gains (losses) on all financial assets for all periods presented were less than $1.0 million:

As of September 30, 2016, the estimated fair value of our 2018 Notes, 2019 Notes, and 2021 Notes was $363.0 million (par value $224.3 million), $834.9 million (par value $920.0 million), and $1.19 billion (par value $1.38 billion). As of December 31, 2015 the estimated fair value of our 2018 Notes, 2019 Notes, and 2021 Notes was $1.29 billion (par value $659.8 million), $864.8 million (par value $920.0 million), and $1.27 billion (par value $1.38 billion). These fair values represent Level II valuations. When determining the estimated fair value of our long-term debt, we used a commonly accepted valuation methodology and market-based risk measurements that are indirectly observable, such as credit risk. As of September 30, 2016, the $200 million carrying value of our Credit Agreement liability and $300 million carrying value under our Warehouse Agreement approximates the fair value of the borrowings based upon the borrowing rate available to us for debt with similar terms and consideration of credit and default risk using Level II inputs.

Derivative Financial Instruments

In November 2015, we implemented a program to hedge the foreign currency exposure risk related to certain forecasted inventory purchases denominated in Japanese yen. The derivative instruments we use are foreign currency forward contracts and are designated as cash flow hedges with maturity dates of 12 months or less. We do not enter into derivative contracts for trading or speculative purposes.

We document each hedge relationship and assess its initial effectiveness at the inception of the hedge contract and we measure its ongoing effectiveness on a quarterly basis using regression analysis. During the term of an effective hedge contract, we record gains and losses within accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). We reclassify these gains or losses to cost of automotive revenue in the period the related finished goods inventory is sold to cost of automotive leasing revenue or over the depreciation period for those sales accounted for as leases. Although our contracts are considered effective hedges, we may experience small amounts of ineffectiveness due to timing differences between our actual inventory purchases and the settlement date of the related foreign currency forward contracts. Ineffectiveness related to the hedges is immaterial as of September 30, 2016.

The net notional amount of these contracts was $95.4 million at September 30, 2016. Outstanding contracts are recognized as either assets or liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet at fair value within prepaid expenses and other current assets or within accrued liabilities, depending on our net position. The cumulative gain of $40.3 million in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) as of September 30, 2016 is expected to be recognized within cost of automotive revenue in the next twelve months. The total fair values of foreign currency contracts designated as cash flow hedges as of September 30, 2016 is $19.2  million and was determined using Level II inputs and recorded in prepaid expenses and other current assets on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. During the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2016, $14.2 million and $15.5 million has been reclassified to costs of automotive revenue.

Note 4 - Inventory

As of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, our inventory consisted of the following (in thousands):

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Finished goods inventory includes vehicles in transit to fulfill customer orders, new vehicles available for immediate sale at our retail and service center locations, pre-owned Tesla vehicles, and energy products. The increase in finished goods is primarily due to 97% more vehicles in transit to customers as of September 30, 2016.

Note 5 - Property, Plant and Equipment

As of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, our property, plant and equipment, net, consisted of the following (in thousands):

Construction in progress is comprised primarily of tooling and equipment related to the manufacturing of vehicles, a portion of Gigafactory construction, and related capitalized interest. Completed assets are transferred to their respective asset class and depreciation begins when the asset is ready for its intended use. Interest expense on outstanding debt is capitalized during the period of significant capital asset construction. Capitalized interest on construction in progress is included in property, plant and equipment, net, and is amortized over the life of the related assets. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, we capitalized $11.4 million and $30.4 million of interest expense. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, we capitalized $11.8 million and $32.4 million of interest expense, respectively.

We are sometimes involved in construction at our leased facilities primarily related to retail stores, service centers, and certain manufacturing facilities. In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification 840, Leases, for build-to-suit lease arrangements where we are involved in the construction of structural improvements prior to the commencement of the lease or take some level of construction risk, we are considered the owner of the assets and land during the construction period. Accordingly, upon commencement of our construction activities, we record a construction in progress asset and a corresponding financing liability. Once the construction is completed, if the lease meets certain “sale-leaseback” criteria, we will remove the asset and related financial obligation from the balance sheet and treat the building lease as an operating lease. If upon completion of construction, the project does not meet the “sale-leaseback” criteria, the leased property will be treated as a capital lease and included in building and building improvements in the table above. As of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the table above includes $443.1 million and $206.1 million of build-to-suit assets. As of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, corresponding financing obligations of $2.6 million and $1.3 million are recorded in accrued liabilities and $454.2 million and $201.3 million are recorded in other long-term liabilities.

Depreciation and amortization expense during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, was $126.8 million and $337.9 million. Depreciation and amortization expense during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, was $71.8 million and $184.7 million. Total property and equipment assets under capital lease as of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015 were $80.5 million and $58.1 million. Accumulated depreciation related to assets under capital lease as of these dates were $36.1 million and $22.7 million.

We have incurred $608.4 million of costs for our Gigafactory as of September 30, 2016.

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Note 6 - Accrued Liabilities

As of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, our accrued liabilities consisted of the following (in thousands):

Taxes payable includes Value Added Tax, sales tax, property tax, and income tax payables.  

Accrued purchases reflects primarily liabilities related to the construction of the Gigafactory along with engineering design and testing accruals. As these services are invoiced, this balance will reduce and accounts payable will increase.

Note 7 - Customer Deposits

Customer deposits include cash payments from customers at the time they place an order for a vehicle and additional payments up to the point of delivery including the fair value of customer trade-in vehicles that are applicable toward a new vehicle purchase. Customer deposit amounts and timing vary depending on the vehicle model and country of delivery. Customer deposits are fully refundable up to the point the vehicle is placed into the production cycle. Customer deposits are included in current liabilities until refunded or until they are applied to a customer’s purchase balance at time of delivery.  

As of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, we held customer deposits of $690.4 million and $283.4 million.  The increase is primarily due to Model 3 deposits.  

Note 8 - Convertible and Long-term Debt Obligations

0.25% and 1.25% Convertible Senior Notes and Bond Hedge and Warrant Transactions

In March 2014, we issued $800.0 million principal amount of 0.25% convertible senior notes due 2019 (2019 Notes) and $1.20 billion principal amount of 1.25% convertible senior notes due 2021 (2021 Notes) in a public offering. In April 2014, we issued an additional $120.0 million aggregate principal amount of 2019 Notes and $180.0 million aggregate principal amount of 2021 Notes, pursuant to the exercise in full of the overallotment options of the underwriters of our March 2014 public offering. The total net proceeds from these offerings, after deducting transaction costs, were approximately $905.8 million from 2019 Notes and $1.36 billion from 2021 Notes. We incurred $14.2 million and $21.4 million of debt issuance costs in connection with the 2019 Notes and the 2021 Notes and are amortizing to interest expense using the effective interest method over the contractual terms of these notes. In April 2015, the FASB issued new authoritative accounting guidance on simplifying the presentation of debt issuance costs, which we retrospectively adopted as of March 31, 2016 and reclassified debt issuance costs in connection with the notes to related debt liability. The interest rates are fixed at 0.25% and 1.25% per annum and are payable semi-annually in arrears on March 1 and September 1 of each year, commencing on September 1, 2014.  

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Each $1,000 of principal of these notes is initially convertible into 2.7788 shares of our common stock, which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $359.87 per share, subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of specified events. Holders of these notes may convert their notes at their option on or after December 1, 2018 for the 2019 Notes and on or after December 1, 2020 for the 2021 Notes. Further, holders of these notes may convert their notes at their option prior to the respective dates above, only under the following circumstances: (1) during any fiscal quarter beginning after the fiscal quarter ending June 30, 2014, if the last reported sale price of our common stock for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive) during the last 30 consecutive trading days of immediately preceding fiscal quarter is greater than or equal to 130% of the conversion price of the applicable notes on each applicable trading day; (2) during the five business day period following any five consecutive trading day period in which the trading price for the applicable notes is less than 98% of the average of the closing sale price of our common stock for each day during such five trading day period; or (3) if we make specified distributions to holders of our common stock or if specified corporate transactions occur. Upon conversion of the 2019 Notes, we would pay or deliver as applicable, cash, shares of our common stock or a combination of cash and shares of our common stock, at our election. Upon conversion of the 2021 Notes, we would pay the holders in cash for the principal amount and, if applicable, shares of our common stock (subject to our right to deliver cash in lieu of all or a portion of such shares of our common stock) based on a daily conversion value. If a fundamental change occurs prior to the maturity date, holders of these notes may require us to repurchase all or a portion of their notes for cash at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the notes, plus any accrued and unpaid interest. In addition, if specific corporate events occur prior to the applicable maturity date, we will increase the conversion rate for a holder who elects to convert their notes in connection with such a corporate event in certain circumstances. During the third quarter of 2016, the closing price of our common stock did not meet or exceed 130% of the applicable conversion price of our 2019 Notes and 2021 Notes on at least 20 of the last 30 consecutive trading days of the quarter; furthermore, no other conditions allowing holders of these notes to convert have been met as of September 30, 2016. Therefore, the 2019 Notes and 2021 Notes are not convertible during the fourth quarter of 2016 and are classified as long-term debt. Should the closing price conditions be met in a future quarter, the 2019 and/or the 2021 Notes will be convertible at their holders’ option during the immediately following quarter. As of September 30, 2016, the if-converted value of the 2019 Notes and 2021 Notes did not exceed the principal value of those notes.

In accordance with accounting guidance on embedded conversion features, we valued and bifurcated the conversion option associated with the notes from the respective host debt instrument and initially recorded the conversion option of $188.1 million for the 2019 Notes and $369.4 million for the 2021 Notes in stockholders’ equity. The resulting debt discounts on the 2019 Notes and 2021 Notes are being amortized to interest expense at an effective interest rate of 4.89% and 5.96%, respectively, over the contractual terms of the notes. 

In connection with the offering of these notes in March 2014, we entered into convertible note hedge transactions whereby we have the option to purchase initially (subject to adjustment for certain specified events) a total of approximately 5.6 million shares of our common stock at a price of approximately $359.87 per share. The total cost of the convertible note hedge transactions was $524.7 million. In addition, we sold warrants whereby the holders of the warrants have the option to purchase initially (subject to adjustment for certain specified events) a total of approximately 2.2 million shares of our common stock at a price of $512.66 for the 2019 Notes and a total of approximately 3.3 million shares of our common stock at a price of $560.64 per share for 2021 Notes. We received $338.4 million in cash proceeds from the sale of these warrants. Similarly, in connection with the issuance of additional notes in April 2014, we entered into convertible note hedge transactions and paid an aggregate $78.7 million. In addition, we sold warrants to purchase (subject to adjustment for certain specified events) a total of approximately 0.3 million shares of our common stock at a price of $512.66 per share for the warrants relating to 2019 Notes, and a total of approximately 0.5 million shares of our common stock at a price of $560.64 per share for the warrants relating to 2021 Notes. We received aggregate proceeds of approximately $50.8 million from the sale of the warrants. Taken together, the purchase of the convertible note hedges and the sale of warrants are intended to reduce potential dilution and/or offset potential cash payments upon the conversion of these notes and to effectively increase the overall conversion price from $359.87 to $512.66 per share in the case of warrants relating to 2019 Notes and from $359.87 to $560.64 in the case of warrants relating to 2021 Notes. As these transactions meet certain accounting criteria, the convertible note hedges and warrants are recorded in stockholders’ equity and are not accounted for as derivatives. The net cost incurred in connection with the convertible note hedge and warrant transactions was recorded as a reduction to additional paid-in capital on the consolidated balance sheet.

1.50% Convertible Senior Notes and Bond Hedge and Warrant Transactions

In May 2013, we issued $660.0 million aggregate principal amount of 2018 Notes in a public offering. The net proceeds from the offering, after deducting transaction costs, were approximately $648.0 million. We incurred $12.0 million of debt issuance costs in connection with the issuance of the 2018 Notes and are amortizing to interest expense using the effective interest method over the contractual term of the 2018 Notes. The interest under the 2018 Notes is fixed at 1.50% per annum and is payable semi-annually in arrears on June 1 and December 1 of each year, commencing on December 1, 2013.

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Each $1,000 of principal of the 2018 Notes is initially convertible into 8.0306 shares of our common stock, which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $124.52 per share, subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of specified events. Holders of the 2018 Notes may convert their 2018 Notes at their option on or after March 1, 2018. Further, holders of the 2018 Notes may convert their 2018 Notes at their option prior to March 1, 2018, only under the following circumstances: (1) during any fiscal quarter beginning after the fiscal quarter ending September 30, 2013, if the last reported sale price of our common stock for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive) during the last 30 consecutive trading days of the immediately preceding fiscal quarter is greater than or equal to 130% of the conversion price on each applicable trading day; (2) during the five business day period following any five consecutive trading day period in which the trading price for the 2018 Notes is less than 98% of the average of the closing sale price of our common stock for each day during such five trading day period; or (3) if we make specified distributions to holders of our common stock or if specified corporate transactions occur. Upon conversion, we would pay the holders in cash for the principal amount of the 2018 Notes and, if applicable, shares of our common stock (subject to our right to deliver cash in lieu of all or a portion of such shares of our common stock) based on a calculated daily conversion value. If a fundamental change occurs prior to the maturity date, holders of the 2018 Notes may require us to repurchase all or a portion of their 2018 Notes for cash at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the 2018 Notes, plus any accrued and unpaid interest. In addition, if specific corporate events occur prior to the maturity date, we will increase the conversion rate for a holder who elects to convert its 2018 Notes in connection with such a corporate event in certain circumstances.

In accordance with accounting guidance on embedded conversion features, we valued and bifurcated the conversion option associated with the 2018 Notes from the host debt instrument and recorded the conversion option of $82.8 million in stockholders’ equity. The resulting debt discount on the 2018 Notes is being amortized to interest expense at an effective interest rate of 4.29% over the contractual term of the 2018 Notes.

In connection with the offering of the 2018 Notes, we entered into convertible note hedge transactions whereby we have the option to purchase initially (subject to certain specified events) a total of approximately 5.3 million shares of our common stock at a price of approximately $124.52 per share. The cost of the convertible note hedge transactions was $177.5 million. In addition, we sold warrants whereby the holders of the warrants have the option to purchase initially (subject to certain specified events) a total of approximately 5.3 million shares of our common stock at a price of $184.48 per share. We received $120.3 million in cash proceeds from the sale of these warrants. Taken together, the purchase of the convertible note hedges and the sale of warrants are intended to offset any actual dilution from the conversion of the 2018 Notes and to effectively increase the overall conversion price from $124.52 to $184.48 per share. As these transactions meet certain accounting criteria, the convertible note hedges and warrants are recorded in stockholders’ equity and are not accounted for as derivatives. The net cost incurred in connection with the convertible note hedge and warrant transactions was recorded as a reduction to additional paid-in capital on the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2015.

During first three quarters of fiscal 2016, the closing price of our common stock exceeded 130% of the applicable conversion price of our 2018 Notes on at least 20 of the last 30 consecutive trading days of the quarter; therefore, holders of 2018 Notes may convert their notes during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016. As such, we classified the $213.0 million carrying value of our 2018 Notes as current liabilities and classified $11.3 million, representing the difference between the aggregate principal of our 2018 Notes of $224.3 million and the carrying value of 2018 Notes, as mezzanine equity on our consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2016. Should the closing price conditions be met in a future quarter, 2018 Notes will be convertible at their holders’ option during the immediately following quarter.

During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, we repaid $421.8 million and $435.5 million in aggregate principal amount of our 2018 Notes pursuant to conversions by their holders.  As of September 30, 2016, we had remaining outstanding $224.3 million in aggregate principal amount of the 2018 Notes. As of September 30, 2016, there were also outstanding a corresponding amount of convertible note hedge transactions, as well as warrants to issue up to 2.2 million shares at $184.48 per share as of September 30, 2016, in each case issued in connection with the offering of the 2018 Notes.  

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Convertible Senior Notes Carrying Value and Interest Expense

In accordance with accounting guidance on embedded conversion features, we valued and bifurcated the conversion option associated with the Notes from the respective host debt instrument and initially recorded the conversion option for the 2018, 2019, and 2021 Notes in stockholders’ equity. The resulting debt discounts on the 2018 Notes, 2019 Notes, and 2021 Notes are being amortized to interest expense at the effective interest rate over the contractual terms of the Notes.

Asset-Based Credit Agreement

In June 2015, we entered into a senior secured asset-based revolving credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with a syndicate of banks. The Credit Agreement provides for a senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility (the “Credit Facility”), which we may draw upon as needed. In October 2015, lenders increased their total funding commitments to us under the Credit Facility by up to an additional $250.0 million, subject to certain conditions, for total commitments up to $750 million. In addition, the Credit Agreement provides for a $200.0 million letter of credit sub-facility and a $40.0 million swing-line loan sub-facility. The Credit Agreement is collateralized by a pledge of certain of our accounts receivable, inventory, and equipment, and availability under the Credit Agreement is based on the value of such assets, as reduced by certain reserves. In February 2016, we amended the Credit Agreement and increased the availability and the commitments under the Credit Agreement from $750.0 million to $1.0 billion.

Borrowed funds bear interest, at our option, at an annual rate of (a) 1% plus LIBOR or (b) the highest of (i) the federal funds rate plus 0.50%, (ii) the lenders “prime rate” or (iii) 1% plus LIBOR. The fee for undrawn amounts is 0.25% per annum. Interest is payable quarterly. The Credit Agreement terminates, and all outstanding loans become due and payable, in June 2020. As of September 30, 2016, we had $200.0 million in borrowings under the Credit Facility and zero borrowings under the swing-line loan sub-facility.

We are required to meet various covenants, including meeting certain reporting requirements, such as the completion and presentation of audited consolidated financial statements for our borrowings. As of September 30, 2016 we were in compliance with all covenants contained in the Credit Agreement.

Loan and Security Agreement

On August 31, 2016, we entered into a Loan and Security Agreement (the “Warehouse Agreement”) with Deutsche Bank as administrative agent and a committed lender.  Under the Warehouse Agreement, which will support the Tesla Finance direct vehicle leasing program, and is secured by an interest in certain leases and vehicles under such program, we may borrow up to $300.0 million in total principal amount. Subject to extension in accordance with the terms of the Warehouse Agreement, the ability to draw under the Warehouse Agreement expires on August 31, 2017, and the full amount outstanding under the Warehouse Agreement is due September 20, 2018. As of September 30, 2016, we had $300.0 million in borrowings outstanding under the Warehouse Agreement.

Amounts drawn under the Warehouse Agreement generally bear interest at a rate based on LIBOR plus a fixed margin. We are subject to various customary events of default and financial, lease portfolio performance and other covenants and limitations, including an advance rate limit, a required reserve account,  and various performance triggers and excess concentration limits.

Pledged Assets

As of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, we have pledged or restricted $1.9 billion and $1.4 billion principally from finished goods and raw materials inventory, as well as certain property and equipment, direct lease vehicles, receivables and cash as collateral for letters of credit including our Credit Agreement, real estate leases, and insurance policies.

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Interest Expense

The following table presents the aggregate amount of interest expense recognized on a prior secured credit facility to support our direct leasing program, which was terminated in December 2015, the Credit Agreement, the Warehouse Agreement, the 2018 Notes, the 2019 Notes, and the 2021 Notes relating to the contractual interest coupon and amortization of the debt issuance costs and debt discount (in thousands):

Note 9 - Equity Incentive Plans

In July 2003, we adopted the 2003 Equity Incentive Plan. Concurrent with the effectiveness of our registration statement on Form S-1 on June 28, 2010, we adopted the 2010 Equity Incentive Plan (the Plan) and all remaining common shares reserved for future grant or issuance under the 2003 Equity Incentive Plan were added to the 2010 Equity Incentive Plan. The Plan provides for the granting of stock options, RSUs and stock purchase rights to our employees, directors and consultants. Options granted under the Plan may be either incentive options or nonqualified stock options. Incentive stock options may be granted only to our employees including officers and directors. Nonqualified stock options and stock purchase rights may be granted to our employees and consultants. Generally, our stock options and RSUs vest over four years and are exercisable over a period not to exceed the contractual term of ten years from the date the stock options are granted. Continued vesting typically terminates when the employment or consulting relationship ends. As of September 30, 2016, there were 15,483,680 shares of outstanding stock awards under the Plan. As of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, 645,553 and 2,816,785 shares were available for grant relating to stock options and RSUs.

Performance-based Stock Option Grant

In 2014, to create incentives for continued long term success beyond the Model S program and to closely align executive pay with our stockholders’ interests in the achievement of significant milestones by our Company, the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors granted stock options to certain employees to purchase an aggregate 1,073,000 shares of our common stock. Each such grant consists of four vesting tranches with a vesting schedule based entirely on the attainment of future performance milestones, assuming continued employment and service to us through each vesting date.

As of September 30, 2016, the following performance milestone was achieved and approved by our Board of Directors.  

As of September 30, 2016, the following performance milestone was considered probable of achievement.

We begin recording stock-based compensation expense as each milestone becomes probable. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, we recorded stock-based compensation expense of $11.6 million and $22.8 million related to this grant. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, we recorded stock-based compensation expense of $2.7 million and $10.4 million related to this grant.

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2012 CEO Grant

In August 2012, our Board of Directors granted 5,274,901 stock options to our CEO (2012 CEO Grant). The 2012 CEO Grant consists of ten vesting tranches with a vesting schedule based entirely on the attainment of both performance conditions and market conditions, assuming continued employment and service to us through each vesting date.

Each of the ten vesting tranches requires a combination of one of the ten pre-determined performance milestones and an incremental increase in our market capitalization of $4.0 billion, as compared to the initial market capitalization of $3.2 billion measured at the time of the 2012 CEO Grant.

As of September 30, 2016, the market conditions for seven vesting tranches and the following five performance milestones were achieved and approved by our Board of Directors:

As of September 30, 2016, the following performance milestones were considered probable of achievement:

We begin recording stock-based compensation expense as each milestone becomes probable. We recorded stock-based compensation expense of $4.6 million for the three months period ended September 30, 2016 and $14.9 million for the nine months period ended September 30, 2016 related to this grant. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, we recorded stock-based compensation expense of $6.8 million and $9.5 million related to this grant.

Our CEO earns a base salary that reflects the currently applicable minimum wage requirements under California law, and he is subject to income taxes based on such base salary. However, he has never accepted and currently does not accept his salary.

Summary Stock-Based Compensation Information

The following table summarizes our stock-based compensation expense by line item in the Consolidated Statements of Operations (in thousands):

Note 10 - Commitments and Contingencies

Legal Proceedings

From time to time, we are subject to various legal proceedings that arise from the normal course of business activities. In addition, from time to time, third parties may assert intellectual property infringement claims against us in the form of letters and other forms of communication. If an unfavorable ruling were to occur, there exists the possibility of a material adverse impact on our results of operations, prospects, cash flows, financial position and brand.

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In November 2013, a putative securities class action lawsuit was filed against Tesla in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, alleging violations of, and seeking remedies pursuant to, Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5. The complaint made claims against Tesla and our CEO, Elon Musk, sought damages and attorney’s fees on the basis of allegations that, among other things, Tesla and Mr. Musk made false and/or misleading representations and omissions, including with respect to the safety of Model S. This case was brought on behalf of a putative class consisting of certain persons who purchased Tesla’s securities between August 19, 2013 and November 17, 2013. On September 26, 2014, the trial court, upon the motion of Tesla and Mr. Musk, dismissed the complaint with prejudice, and thereafter issued a formal written order to that effect. The plaintiffs have appealed from the trial court’s order, and that appeal is pending.

From time to time, we have received requests for information from regulators and governmental authorities, such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Securities and Exchange Commission.  We are also subject to various other legal proceedings that arise from the normal course of business activities. In addition, from time to time, third parties may assert intellectual property infringement claims against us in the form of letters and other forms of communication. If an unfavorable ruling were to occur, there exists the possibility of a material adverse impact on our results of operations, prospects, cash flows, financial position and brand.

Note 11 – Subsequent events

Land Purchase    

In October 2016, we purchased 24.5 acres of land that is adjacent to our factory in Fremont, California for $30.8 million which will be used for the future expansion of our manufacturing facilities. 

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The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes that appear elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.  

Overview

We design, develop, manufacture, and sell high-performance fully electric vehicles, and energy products. We are currently producing and selling our Model S sedan and our Model X sport utility vehicle. We continue to enhance our vehicle offerings with all-wheel drive capability, autopilot options, and free over-the-air software updates.  We commenced customer deliveries of Model X in September 2015 and continue to ramp production. We unveiled Model 3, a lower priced sedan designed for the mass market, in the first quarter of 2016 which received significant interest. 

In addition to our automotive products, we continue to sell our energy products, the Powerwall for residential applications and the Powerpack for commercial, industrial and utility-scale applications.  We began production and deliveries of these products in the third quarter of 2015. We transitioned the production of these products from the Tesla Factory to the Gigafactory during the fourth quarter of 2015.

Our primary source of revenue is from the sale of our vehicles. During the quarter ended September 30, 2016, we recognized total revenues of $2.30 billion, an increase of $1.36 billion over total revenues of $936.8 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2015, primarily driven by growth of vehicle deliveries worldwide, including increasing production and deliveries of Model X. Gross margin for the quarter ended September 30, 2016 was 27.7%, an increase from 24.7% for the quarter ended September 30, 2015.

We continue to increase our sales and service footprint worldwide and expand our Supercharging and destination charging networks. With the continued global expansion of our customer support infrastructure, selling, general and administrative expenses were $ 336.8 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2016, compared to $236.4 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2015.

Management Opportunities, Challenges and Risks

Demand, Production and Deliveries

We are currently producing and selling both the Model S sedan and the Model X sport utility vehicle.  We have broadened the appeal of these vehicles by introducing new variants that improve range, performance, and value, as well as enhanced autopilot functionality, and we expect to introduce further new vehicle versions and functionality over time.  Overall, we expect that demand for our vehicles will continue to increase worldwide as more people drive and become aware of our vehicles, as we grow our customer sales, service and charging infrastructure, as we continue to offer less expensive vehicles such as Model 3, and as we continue to develop our vehicles. Additionally, we believe that demand for our energy products will continue to increase.

We continue to make progress in increasing vehicle production and plan to continue increasing total vehicle production to support approximately 50,000 deliveries in the second half of this year. In the third quarter of 2016, we produced approximately 25,180 vehicles, including approximately 10,450 Model X vehicles. Total third quarter production increased 37% from the second quarter.  Although our Model X production ramp has faced challenges, including supplier part shortages, we continue to make steady progress increasing Model X production.

In addition, we are on track to achieve volume production and deliveries of Model 3 in the second half of 2017.  We expect our production will increase considerably each year for the next several years, and are targeting an overall vehicle production level of 500,000 vehicles, including Model S, Model X and Model 3, in 2018.  Increasing production five-fold over the next two years will be challenging and will likely require additional capital, but this is our goal and we are working hard to achieve it.  

In addition to expanding our vehicle production and deliveries, we expect to continue to lower the cost of manufacturing our vehicles over the next several quarters due to economies of scale, material cost reductions and more efficient manufacturing. We expect that this trend will contribute to improve total automotive gross margin over time, excluding the impact of foreign currency movements. Significant cost improvements for Model S have been achieved relating to material cost reductions from both engineering and commercial actions, and manufacturing efficiencies, excluding the impact of newly introduced Model S variants and Model X. However, during our product introductions over the last few years, we sometimes encountered manufacturing inefficiencies and supplier constraints which negatively impacted our gross margin. If we are not able to continue to achieve the planned cost reductions from our various cost savings and process improvement initiatives or continue to ramp Model X efficiently, our ability to reach our gross margin goals would be negatively affected.

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We are expanding our sales, service and charging infrastructure worldwide to accommodate a much larger fleet of vehicles and provide timely customer services in areas with a high concentration of Tesla customers.  In particular, we continue to open additional retail and service locations and should have approximately 265 locations worldwide by the end of 2016.  Because we sell our vehicles in many countries throughout North America, Europe and Asia, and our retail and service expansion will primarily occur in geographic areas in which we already have a presence, we expect our long-term sales outside of North America will be over half of our worldwide total automotive revenue. As compared to markets in the United States, we have less experience in international markets, and thus we may face difficulties meeting our future international expansion plans with respect to timing and expected sales. If we experience unexpected difficulties or delays in finding or opening desirable locations for stores and service centers, we may not be able to meet our delivery plans and sales goals.

Trends in Cash Flow, Capital Expenditures and Operating Expenses

We have advanced our 500,000 total unit build plan by two years to 2018.  Given this plan, we continue to invest heavily in capital expenditures.  Our capital expenditure needs include expenditures for the tooling, production equipment and construction of the Model 3 production lines, equipment to support cell production at the Gigafactory, as well as new retail locations service centers and Supercharger locations.

We currently expect operating expenses to grow by approximately 30% in 2016 as compared to 2015, excluding any potential impact from the future SolarCity acquisition.  This increase is driven by engineering, design, and testing expenses related to Model 3 supplier contracts and higher sales and service costs associated with expanding our geographic presence. We expect selling, general and administrative expenses to continue to increase in absolute dollars but decline over time as a percentage of revenue as we focus on increasing operational efficiency while continuing to expand our customer and corporate infrastructure. Over time, we also expect total operating expenses to decrease as a percentage of revenue.  

As of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the net book value of our Supercharger network was $193.9 million and $166.6 million, and as of September 30, 2016 our Supercharger network included 715 locations globally. We plan to continue investing in our Supercharger network for the foreseeable future, including in North America, Europe and Asia, and expect such spending to continue to be a minimal portion of total capital spending during 2016. During 2016, we expect that this investment will grow our Supercharger network over 40%. We allocate Supercharger related expenses to cost of total automotive revenues and selling, general, and administrative expenses. These costs were immaterial for all periods presented.

Customer Financing Options

We offer loans and leases in North America, Europe and Asia primarily through various financial institutions. We offer a resale value guarantee in connection with certain loans offered by financial institutions and as of September 30, 2016 had approximately 24,400 vehicles under this program. We recently discontinued the resale value guarantee in North America, but continue to offer it in selected European and Asian markets. Resale value guarantees available for exercise within the next 12 months total $204.1 million in value and relate to approximately 4,390 vehicles.

Vehicle deliveries with the resale value guarantee do not impact our near-term cash flows and liquidity, since we receive the full amount of cash for the vehicle sales price at delivery. However, this program requires the deferral of revenues and costs into future periods as they are considered leases for accounting purposes.

While we do not assume any credit risk related to the customer, if a customer exercises the option to return the vehicle to us, we are exposed to liquidity risk that the resale value of vehicles under these programs may be lower than our guarantee, or the volume of vehicles returned to us may be higher than our estimates, or we may be unable to resell the used cars in a timely manner, all of which could adversely impact our cash flows. Alternatively, in cases where customers retain their vehicles past the expiration of the guarantee period, the remaining deferred revenues and costs will be recognized at no gross profit.

Based on current market demand for our cars, we estimate the resale prices for our vehicles will continue to be above our resale value guarantee amounts. Should market values of our vehicles or customer demand decrease, these estimates may be impacted materially.

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We currently offer leases in the U.S. directly from our captive financing entity, as well as through a leasing partner. Leasing through Tesla Finance is now available in 39 states and the District of Columbia. We also offer financing arrangements through entities in Canada, Germany and the U.K.  As of September 30, 2016, we have active leases for approximately 9,070 vehicles through our captive financing entities and approximately 13,990 vehicles through our leasing partner. Leasing through both our captive financing entities and our leasing partner exposes us to residual value risk and will adversely impact our near-term operating results by requiring the deferral of revenues and costs into future periods under lease accounting. In addition, for leases offered directly from our captive financing entities (but not for those offered through our bank partner), we only receive a limited portion of cash for the vehicle price at delivery and will assume customer credit risk.  We plan to continue expanding our financing offerings, including our lease financing options and the financial sources to support them, and to support the overall financing needs of our customers. To the extent that we are unable to arrange such options for our customers on terms that are attractive, our sales, financial results, and cash flow could be negatively impacted.  

The Gigafactory and Manufacturing

We are developing the Gigafactory as a facility where we work together with our suppliers to integrate production of battery material, cells, modules and battery packs in one location. We broke ground on the Gigafactory in June 2014 and began assembling our energy products in the first portion of the facility in the fourth quarter of 2015.  We currently expect to produce cells at the Gigafactory beginning in the fourth quarter of 2016 for use initially in our energy products and later for our vehicles. Our revised vehicle build plan also includes an adjustment of our cell production plans at the Gigafactory.  We continue to invest in construction of the building and utilities at the Gigafactory and in production equipment for battery, module and pack production. We are responsible for the overall management of the Gigafactory and will engage with partners who have significant experience in battery cell and material production. Panasonic has agreed to partner with us on the Gigafactory with investments in production equipment that it will use to manufacture and supply us with battery cells. Under our arrangement with Panasonic, we plan to purchase the full output from their production equipment located at the Gigafactory at negotiated prices.  As these terms convey a right to use the production related assets as defined within ASC 840 – Leases, we will consider these leased assets beginning with the start of cell production in 2016. This will result in us recording the value of such assets within property, plant, and equipment in our consolidated balance sheet with a corresponding liability recorded to financing obligations. For all suppliers and partners for which we plan to purchase the full output from their production equipment located at the Gigafactory, we will record the value of such assets on our Consolidated Balance Sheet.  Based on our current assessment, as of September 30, 2016, approximately $300 million is expected to be recorded on our Consolidated Balance Sheet by fourth quarter of 2016.

Although we continue to remain on track with our progress at the Gigafactory, given the size and complexity of this undertaking, it is possible that future events could result in the cost of building and operating the Gigafactory exceeding our current expectations and the Gigafactory taking longer to bring online than we currently anticipate. In addition, we continue to expand production capacity at our Fremont facility and are exploring additional production capacity in Asia and Europe.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, costs and expenses and related disclosures. We base our estimates on historical experience, as appropriate, and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Changes in the accounting estimates are reasonably likely to occur from period to period. Accordingly, actual results could differ significantly from the estimates made by our management. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis. To the extent that there are material differences between these estimates and actual results, our future financial statement presentation, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows will be affected.

For a description of our critical accounting policies and estimates, please refer to the “Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates” section of our Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In addition, please refer to Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” to our Consolidated Financial Statements included under Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q which also includes discussion of Recent Accounting Pronouncements that may impact us.

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Results of Operations

Revenues

Automotive revenue includes revenues related to sale of new Model S and Model X vehicles, including internet connectivity, Supercharger access, and specified software updates for cars equipped with Autopilot hardware, as well as sales of regulatory credits to other automotive manufacturers.  Automotive leasing revenue includes the amortization of revenue for cars sold with resale value guarantees accounted for as operating lease under lease accounting, and Model S and Model X leasing revenue.

Services and other revenue consists of sales of electric vehicle powertrain components and systems to other manufacturers, maintenance and development services, energy products, and pre-owned vehicles.

Automotive revenue increased $1.1 billion, or 149%, to $1.9 billion during the three months ended September 30, 2016 compared to the three months ended September 30, 2015, primarily related to a 132% increase in vehicle deliveries from approximately 7,220 for the three months ended September 30, 2015 to approximately 16,790 for the three months ended September 30, 2016.  The increase in vehicle deliveries is primarily due to the introduction of Model X as well as increased production and sale of Model S.  In addition, there was an increase in average selling price of 5.3% primarily due to the introduction of Model X which are higher priced vehicles compared to Model S, partially offset by an increase in sales of lower priced 60 kWh vehicles.  Revenue recognized from the sale of regulatory credits increased by $114.7 million from three months ended September 30, 2015 to the corresponding period in 2016.

Automotive revenue increased $1.4 billion, or 59%, to $3.8 billion during the nine months ended September 30, 2016 compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2015, primarily related to a 52% increase in vehicle deliveries from approximately 22,450 for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 to approximately 34,140 for the nine months ended September 30, 2016.  The increase in volume is primarily due to the introduction of Model X.  Further, there was an increase in average selling price of 5.1% primarily due to the introduction of Model X which are higher priced vehicles compared to Model S. Revenue recognized from the sale of regulatory credits increased by $113.9 million from the nine months ended September 30, 2015 to the corresponding period in 2016.

Automotive leasing revenue increased $147.7 million, or 177%, to $231.3 million during the three months ended September 30, 2016 compared to the three months ended September 30, 2015, and increased $300.4 million, or 145%, to $507.1 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2016 compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2015.  The increase during both periods was primarily due to a 119% increase in cumulative vehicle deliveries under leasing programs and programs with a resale value guarantee from approximately 22,000 on a cumulative basis through September 30, 2015, to approximately 48,000 on a cumulative basis through September 30, 2016.  In addition, during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, we recognized $55.0 million in automotive leasing revenue upon the expiration of resale value guarantees.  

Service and other revenue increased $65.5 million, or 78%, to $149.7 million during the three months ended September 30, 2016 compared to the three months ended September 30, 2015, primarily due to an increase of $21.9 million in energy product sales, an increase of $21.2 million in pre-owned vehicle sales, an increase in maintenance service revenue of $13.6 million, and an increase of $10.0 million in sales of electric vehicle powertrain components and systems to other manufacturers.  Service and other revenue increased $151.2 million, or 73%, to $358.9 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2016 compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2015.  The increase was related primarily to an increase of $59.7 million in pre-owned vehicle sales, an increase of $53.3 million in maintenance service revenue, and an increase of $47.0 million in energy product sales.

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Cost of Revenues and Gross Profit