Tesla's dirty little secret: Its net profit doesn't come from selling cars

Tesla posted its first full year of net income in 2020.

Tesla posted its first full year of net income in 2020 -- but not because of sales to its customers.

Eleven states require automakers sell a certain percentage of zero-emissions vehicles by 2025. If they can't, the automakers have to buy regulatory credits from another automaker that meets those requirements -- such as Tesla, which exclusively sells electric cars.

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