Ford vs Tesla: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Ford reported $187.3B of revenue in FY2025 and a net loss of $8.2B. Tesla reported $94.8B of revenue in FY2025 and $3.8B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
Ford
Ford's numbers show a profitable truck and fleet business funding an expensive EV reset. FY2025 revenue rose 1.2% to $187.267B, but Ford posted an $8.162B net loss as Model e lost $4.806B at EBIT and the company took charges tied to its December 2025 decision to cancel some EV programs. Ford Pro earned $6.843B of EBIT. In Q2 2026, revenue fell 4% to $48.3B on lower wholesale volumes and aluminum shortages linked to supplier Novelis, and the $1.3B net loss included $3.6B of charges for exiting the BlueOval SK battery joint venture. Adjusted EBIT still rose 17% to $2.5B, adjusted free cash flow was $2.1B, and liquidity exceeded $43B.
Tesla
Tesla's revenue peaked at $97.69 billion in 2024 and slipped 2.9% to $94.83 billion in FY2025, while net income fell from $7.09 billion to $3.79 billion as vehicle prices and regulatory-credit income declined. The second quarter of 2026 reversed the top-line trend: revenue rose 26% to a record $28.24 billion, with automotive up 23% to $20.52 billion, services and other up 50% to $4.58 billion, and energy up 13% to $3.14 billion. Profit did not follow. GAAP net income fell 5% to $1.11 billion and adjusted EPS of $0.33 missed estimates because of higher R&D and AI infrastructure spending.
Revenue and profit by year
Ford
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $187.3B | -$8.2B | -4.4% | +1.2% | Source |
| FY2024 | $185B | $5.9B | 3.2% | +5.0% | Source |
| FY2023 | $176.2B | $4.3B | 2.5% | +11.5% | Source |
| FY2022 | $158.1B | -$2B | -1.3% | +15.9% | Source |
| FY2021 | $136.3B | $17.9B | 13.2% | +7.2% | Source |
| FY2020 | $127.1B | -$1.3B | -1.0% | -18.4% | Source |
| FY2019 | $155.9B | $84M | 0.1% | -2.8% | Source |
| FY2018 | $160.3B | $3.7B | 2.3% | +2.3% | Source |
| FY2017 | $156.8B | $7.8B | 4.9% | +3.3% | Source |
| FY2016 | $151.8B | $4.6B | 3.0% | — | Source |
Tesla
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $94.8B | $3.8B | 4.0% | -2.9% | Source |
| FY2024 | $97.7B | $7.1B | 7.3% | +0.9% | Source |
| FY2023 | $96.8B | $15B | 15.5% | +18.8% | Source |
| FY2022 | $81.5B | $12.6B | 15.4% | +51.4% | Source |
| FY2021 | $53.8B | $5.5B | 10.3% | +70.7% | Source |
| FY2020 | $31.5B | $721M | 2.3% | +28.3% | Source |
| FY2019 | $24.6B | -$862M | -3.5% | +14.5% | Source |
| FY2018 | $21.5B | -$976M | -4.5% | +82.5% | Source |
| FY2017 | $11.8B | -$2B | -16.7% | +68.0% | Source |
| FY2016 | $7B | -$674.9M | -9.6% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
Ford
- Ford Blue~54%
Combustion and hybrid Ford and Lincoln retail vehicles generated $101.019B of FY2025 revenue.
- Ford Pro~35%
Commercial vehicles, fleet services, telematics, charging, and related customer relationships generated $66.286B of FY2025 revenue.
- Ford Model e~4%
Electric vehicles, EV technologies, and related software generated $6.670B of FY2025 revenue while remaining loss-making.
- Ford Credit and Other~7%
Vehicle financing, leasing, and other corporate activities complete Ford's consolidated revenue base.
Tesla
- Automotive sales and leasing~73%
Model 3, Model Y, Cybertruck and remaining other models, plus regulatory credits. $20.52B in Q2 2026.
- Services and other~16%
Supercharging, FSD and connectivity software, service, used cars, insurance and parts. $4.58B in Q2 2026, up 50%.
- Energy generation and storage~11%
Megapack, Powerwall and solar. $3.14B in Q2 2026, up 13%.
Business model and strategy
Ford
How it makes money
Ford designs, builds, and sells vehicles through roughly 9,000 independent Ford and Lincoln dealers worldwide and reports three operating segments plus Ford Credit. Ford Blue sells gas and hybrid retail vehicles such as the F-150, Bronco, Explorer, and Maverick ($101.0B of FY2025 revenue).
Growth strategy
After its December 2025 EV reset, Ford is concentrating capital on trucks, hybrids, and higher-margin services rather than large first-generation battery-electric programs.
Competitive advantage
Ford's clearest moat is the F-Series truck franchise, the best-selling pickup line in the U.S. every year since 1977, combined with Ford Pro's position in commercial vans and Super Duty trucks. Fleet customers buy vehicles, service, parts, telematics, and financing from one supplier, and Ford's upfitter, dealer, and mobile-service network is hard for EV startups or importers to replicate.
Tesla
How it makes money
Tesla operates a vertically integrated electric vehicle, clean energy generation, and software ecosystem model. The company generates revenue across four primary pillars: First, Automotive Sales and Leasing, selling mass-market electric vehicles (Model Y, Model 3) and premium models (Model S, Model X, Cybertruck) directly to consumers without franchised dealers.
Growth strategy
Tesla's growth plan rests on four bets. First, regain vehicle volume: deliveries fell 8.6% to 1.64 million in 2025, then rebounded to a record 480,126 in Q2 2026, up 25% year over year. Second, autonomy: Tesla runs a paid robotaxi service in several U.S. cities and is building the steering-wheel-free Cybercab, though the Q2 2026 shareholder letter dropped the target of volume production in 2026.
Competitive advantage
Tesla's advantage comes from brand strength, direct sales, software updates, charging infrastructure, battery and powertrain know-how, manufacturing scale, data, and energy-storage growth.
Questions about Ford vs Tesla
Which company has higher revenue — Ford Motor Company or Tesla, Inc.?
Ford Motor Company reported $187.3B (FY2025), while Tesla, Inc. reported $94.8B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Ford Motor Company is the larger business, with Tesla, Inc. reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of Ford Motor Company vs Tesla, Inc.?
Ford Motor Company's market capitalisation stands at $48.0B, while Tesla, Inc.'s is $1.49T. Tesla, Inc. carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Ford Motor Company.
Which is more financially efficient — Ford Motor Company or Tesla, Inc.?
Ford Motor Company generates $1.11M / employee in revenue per employee, while Tesla, Inc. generates $704k / employee. Ford Motor Company shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do Ford Motor Company and Tesla, Inc. make money?
Ford Motor Company and Tesla, Inc. generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Ford Motor Company: Ford designs, builds, and sells vehicles through roughly 9,000 independent Ford and Lincoln dealers worldwide and reports three operating segments plus Ford Credit. Tesla, Inc.: Tesla operates a vertically integrated electric vehicle, clean energy generation, and software ecosystem model.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Ford Motor Company or Tesla, Inc.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Ford Motor Company trades at 0.3x P/S and Tesla, Inc. at 15.7x P/S. Tesla, Inc. commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Ford Motor Company. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is Ford Motor Company bigger than Tesla, Inc.?
By last reported revenue, Ford Motor Company ($187.3B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to Tesla, Inc. ($94.8B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Ford vs Tesla overview