Tesla, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures and sells electric vehicles, and energy generation and storage systems in the United States and internationally. It operates in two segments, Automotive, and Energy Generation and Storage. The Automotive segment offers electric vehicles, as well as sells automotive regulatory credits; and non-warranty after-sales vehicle, used vehicles, retail merchandise, and vehicle insurance services. This segment also provides sedans and sport utility vehicles through direct and used vehicle sales, a network of Tesla Superchargers, and in-app upgrades; purchase financing and leasing services; services for electric vehicles through its company-owned service locations and Tesla mobile service technicians; and vehicle limited warranties and extended service plans.

Tesla Inc.

Tesla is listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange (NASDAQ), where it is traded under the ticker ( TSLA )

Customer service: 1 (888) 518-3752

 

Energy Generation and Storage

The Energy Generation and Storage segment engages in the design, manufacture, installation, sale, and leasing of solar energy generation and energy storage products, and related services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers and utilities through its website, stores, and galleries, as well as through a network of channel partners; and provision of service and repairs to its energy product customers, including under warranty, as well as various financing options to its solar customers.

 

History

Tesla was founded by a group of engineers in Silicon Valley who wanted to prove that electric cars could be better than gasoline-powered cars. With instant torque, incredible power, and zero emissions, Tesla’s products would be cars without compromise. Each new generation would be increasingly affordable, helping the company work towards its mission: to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable transport.

Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, both Silicon Valley engineers incorporated Tesla in July 2003 as Tesla Motors. Its name is a tribute to inventor and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla. Martin Eberhard was the original CEO, serving until late 2007. Eberhard spent years building a new kind of electric car that people would want to drive. In February 2004, Elon Musk became an investor and led Tesla’s first funding round becoming the company’s chairman in 2008. Eberhard left Tesla in 2007. Marc Tarpenning served as the chief financial officer and vice president of engineering of Tesla. Tarpenning left Tesla during the development of the Model S sedan.

Tesla’s engineers first designed a powertrain for a sports car built around an AC induction motor, patented in 1888 by Nikola Tesla, the inventor who inspired the company’s name. The resulting Tesla Roadster was launched in 2008. Accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and achieving a range of 245 miles per charge of its lithium ion battery, the Roadster set a new standard for electric mobility. Tesla would sell more than 2,400 Roadsters, now on the road in more than 30 countries.

In 2012, Tesla launched Model S, the world’s first premium electric sedan. Built from the ground up to be 100 percent electric, Model S has redefined the very concept of a four-door car. With room for seven passengers and more than 64 cubic feet of storage, Model S provides the comfort and utility of a family sedan while achieving the acceleration of a sports car: 0 to 60 mph in about five seconds. Its flat battery pack is integrated into the chassis and sits below the occupant cabin, lending the car a low center of gravity that enables outstanding road holding and handling while driving 265 miles per charge. Model S was named Motor Trend’s 2013 Car of the Year and achieved a 5-star safety rating from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In late 2014, Tesla unveiled two dual motor all-wheel drive configurations of Model S that further improve the vehicle’s handling and performance. The 85D features a high efficiency motor at the front and rear, giving the car unparalleled control of traction in all conditions. The P85D pairs a high efficiency front motor with a performance rear motor for supercar acceleration, achieving a 0 to 60 mph time of 3.2 seconds – the fastest four-door production car ever made.

Now with more than 50,000 vehicles on the road worldwide, Tesla is preparing to launch Model X in 2015, a crossover vehicle that enters volume production in 2015. Featuring exhilarating acceleration, falcon wing doors, and room for three rows of seating, Model X defies categorization.

Tesla owners enjoy the benefit of charging at home so they never have to visit a gas station or spend a cent on gasoline. For long distance journeys, Tesla’s Supercharger network provides convenient and free access to high speed charging, replenishing half a charge in as little as 20 minutes. Superchargers now connect popular routes in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

Tesla’s vehicles are produced at its factory in Fremont, California, previously home to New United Motor Manufacturing Inc., a joint venture between Toyota and General Motors. The Tesla Factory has returned thousands of jobs to the area and is capable of producing 1,000 cars a week.

The company is expanding its manufacturing footprint into other areas, including in Tilburg, the Netherlands, where it has an assembly facility, and Lathrop, California, where it has a specialized production plant. To reduce the costs of lithium ion battery packs, Tesla and key strategic partners including Panasonic have begun construction of a gigafactory in Nevada that will facilitate the production of a mass-market affordable vehicle, Model 3. By 2020, the gigafactory will produce more lithium ion cells than all of the world’s combined output in 2013. The gigafactory will also produce battery packs intended for use in stationary storage, helping to improve robustness of the electrical grid, reduce energy costs for businesses and residences, and provide a backup supply of power.

The company was formerly known as Tesla Motors, Inc. and changed its name to Tesla, Inc. in February 2017. Tesla, Inc. was incorporated in 2003 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

 

Martin Eberhard

Martin Eberhard is an engineer, a veteran Silicon Valley entrepreneur, and inventor on at least 29 patents. In 1996, Eberhard founded NuvoMedia with his colleague, Marc Tarpenning, where they developed the Rocket eBook, the first eBook with secure internet delivery of content. Eberhard and Tarpenning founded Tesla Motors, where Eberhard was its original Chairman, and served as its CEO until late 2007. Since leaving Tesla Motors, Eberhard has served as Director of EV Development at Volkswagen and Chief Science Officer at SF Motors. Eberhard currently serves as Founder, Chairman, and CTO at Tiveni, a company designing safer, denser, and lower-cost EV batteries.

Marc Tarpenning

Marc Tarpenning is an American engineer and technology entrepreneur who co-founded Tesla Inc. with Martin Eberhard in 2003. Tarpenning served as the chief financial officer and vice president of engineering of Tesla.