Tesla

Tesla, Inc. (formerly Tesla Motors, Inc.) is an American electric vehicle and clean energy company based in Palo Alto, California. Tesla's current products include electric cars, battery energy storage from home to grid scale, solar panels and solar roof tiles, as well as other related products and services.

History

Tesla was founded in July 2003 by engineers Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. The company's name is a tribute to inventor and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla. The next three employees were Ian Wright, Elon Musk, and J.B. Straubel. Musk, who formerly served as CEO and is the current CEO, joined Tesla in 2004, a year after its formation.

Products

Electric vehicles

Tesla's automotive strategy is to emulate typical technological-product life cycles and initially target affluent buyers, and then move into larger markets at lower price points. The battery and electric drivetrain technology for each model would be developed and partially paid for through the sales of earlier models. The Roadster, Model S, Model X, and Model 3, have demonstrated this strategy.

Energy storage

In addition to its electric vehicles, Tesla sells energy storage products, including the Powerwall, Powerpack, and Megapack, to homes, businesses, and utilities, integrating these products with solar energy systems where applicable.

Solar energy

In 2016, Tesla acquired SolarCity, a solar energy services company. Tesla's stated mission is to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy.

See also

• Electric vehicle
• Sustainable energy
• SolarCity