Tesla

About Tesla

Tesla, formerly a struggling start-up in Silicon Valley, is now a major American automaker manufacturing upscale all-electric sports cars, sedans, and SUVs.

Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning established Tesla Motors in 2003 to hasten the deployment of battery-electric propulsion technologies in automobiles worldwide. The company’s chairman and principal investor, Elon Musk, assumed control as CEO in 2008. The Tesla Roadster, a two-seater electric sports vehicle developed utilizing the chassis of the Lotus Elise and rebuilt and driven by a unique fast-charging lithium-ion battery pack and electric motor, was unveiled the same year as the company’s first production model. Customers had to join a “club” to order a Roadster since the business rejected the dealer-franchise model.

Tesla introduced the Model S electric luxury automobile in 2012 after a string of manufacturing setbacks and financial difficulties worsened by the “Great Recession.” The battery-powered SUV Model X came next. It was constructed on the Model S platform and had gullwing doors. The Fremont, California-based corporation created Supercharging stations to provide quick recharging for its Tesla automobiles to assist the growth of EVs. Six 480-volt DC fast-charging stations in California served as the Supercharger network’s foundation, allowing the innovative EVs to be utilized for long-distance trips without experiencing “range anxiety.” Globally, there are now over 20,000 Superchargers.

In 2015, Tesla released its semi-autonomous features as an “over-the-air” upgrade to the Model S and Model X vehicles produced in 2014. Tesla has since emerged as a leading proponent of self-driving cars. This post-purchase incremental car update, instead of waiting for a new model year or substantial refresh, was a first for the automotive sector. Other manufacturers were compelled to expedite their product roadmaps for alternate fuel and autonomous technologies due to the mass-market attraction of self-driving EVs with high-performance capabilities. The Model 3 and Model Y tiny crossovers, whose names combined, formed “SEXY” (S3XY), completed Tesla’s first anticipated lineup.

By acquiring SolarCity, a producer and installer of photovoltaic (PV) systems established by Musk’s relatives, the firm entered the energy sector in 2016. Tesla Motors, which now includes SolarCity, was renamed Tesla in 2017. It produced and marketed solar roof panels, tiles, and Powerwall batteries for storing power in a joint venture with Panasonic. Additionally, it constructed sizable solar farms to assist grid services for authorities and utility firms.

With large Gigafactories in Germany and China and its American manufacturing facilities, Tesla is accelerating worldwide production growth. A fully electric heavy-duty Class 8 semi-truck and the Cybertruck, an electric full-size pickup truck, will be produced in 2021.