Elon Musk said there is no immediate need for Tesla to raise cash, but more funding could provide a "buffer" for the company.
"There is no explicit reason for us to raise money," Musk told CNBC on Friday morning. "It may be prudent to raise some capital as a buffer, and to de-risk the business, but we have not decided when that might be."
Earlier this week, Tesla addressed critics who felt the electric carmaker's proposed acquisition of SolarCity was a poor use of cash. The company said it expects the SolarCity deal to add more than a half a billion dollars in cash to Tesla's balance sheet over the next three years.
Tesla finished the third quarter with $3.1 billion in cash, exceeding analyst estimates. The company said in its earnings release that it plans to have $1 billion in capital expenditures during the fourth quarter, and lowered its total 2016 spending target to $1.8 billion, from the second quarter's estimate of $2.25 billion.
Tesla shares have fallen roughly 20 percent year to date.
Tesla and SolarCity shareholders are expected to vote on a proposed merger between the two companies Nov. 17.
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