The next part of Tesla's future will be fueled by debt. Elon Musk's automaker is issuing $1.5 billion in debt to fund its plans. That means that instead of raising funding from investors, the company will offer $1.5 billion of debt a a form of capital. It's a new move for Tesla, which has always sold off pieces of the company to fund its operations. Tesla will use this $1.5 billion to strengthen its balance sheet as the company prepares to bring the Model 3 to market, it said in a press release.