Went through Tesla negotiation recently. Coming from FAANG, I had a pretty good handle on the levers. Here's what actually worked versus what got politely ignored.
What moved:
RSU grant. This is the only thing with real flex at Tesla. I got them to move from $250k to $310k RSU over 4 years by citing a competing offer from another company. The recruiter said base was 'banded' but she went back to the hiring manager and came back with a bigger equity number the next day.
Start date. They were flexible on this. I needed 4 extra weeks and they accommodated without any pushback.
What didn't move:
Base salary. The recruiter was not lying when she said it's banded. I tried three times, framed as market data, competing offers, and scope expectations. Zero movement. I've heard the same from two other people who negotiated Tesla offers this year.
Signing bonus. Flat no. Tesla doesn't do signing bonuses as a standard practice. One person I know was told they'd consider a 'equity acceleration at grant' instead of a signing, which is just... another way to say more RSUs.
Relocation package. Mine was minimal. They offered a flat $5k. I asked for more and got politely told that's the standard.
My overall take on Tesla negotiation: Have a competing offer if you can. Without one, your leverage is thin. Know what the RSU is worth at current TSLA price and at a 20-30% haircut. Don't anchor to a stock price that might not hold. The call where you counter should be short and specific. 'Based on my competing offer of X, I'd need Y to make this work.' Don't over-explain. Don't try to negotiate after you've signed. Tesla has historically been unmoved by renegotiation attempts post-acceptance.
End result: I took a different offer. But the negotiation itself was professional, not adversarial.