Who Tesla buys from and sells to
Builds EVs and grid batteries in its own plants; buys most battery cells and AI chips from outside suppliers.
Buys from 6
- Panasoniccylindrical battery cells from Nevada and Japan
- LG Energy Solutionbattery cells for cars and Megapack storage$4.3B storage cell deal (reported)
- CATLLFP cells, mostly for China-built cars
- Samsungfoundry for the AI6 self-driving chip in Texas$16.5B contract through 2033
- TSMCTSMfabricates the AI5 self-driving chip
- NVIDIANVDAGPUs for Autopilot and Optimus training
Sells to 2
- Retail car buyersModel 3 and Model Y, most of revenue
- Utilities and grid developersMegapack storage systems
Where the chain could break
- Shanghai builds a large share of cars, exposed to US-China trade relations
- LFP cells and graphite come largely from China and face US tariffs
- Self-driving roadmap depends on two foundries, TSMC and Samsung
Competes with
- BYDBYDDYEVs and batteries, especially in China and Europe
- AlphabetGOOGLWaymo, the robotaxi leader
- General MotorsGMUS EV buyers
Mapped by hand from filings and company reporting, as of October 2026. It shows the relationships that matter most, not every contract: most are never disclosed, and agreements change.