Tesla Investors Again Worry About Carmaker's Finances

Tesla’s finances rather than its cars were once again in focus this week following a report that the company asked suppliers for refunds to help it turn a profit.

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Tesla’s finances rather than its cars were once again in focus this week following a report that the company asked suppliers for refunds to help it turn a profit.

A memo provided to The Wall Street Journal showed the electric car maker asked one supplier to return what it calls a meaningful amount of money on its payments since 2016. The memo came from a global supply manager and said the request was essential to Tesla’s continued operations, the Journal said.

The report also said it’s not clear how many suppliers received the request.

When asked whether the company has requested refunds from suppliers, a Tesla spokesman referred to a company statement, which said Tesla had asked fewer than 10 suppliers for a reduction in total spending on projects that started in 2016 and are not complete.

The company said it is also talking to suppliers about changes to future prices and design that will help it reduce costs.