On what date was Tesla Motors incorporated in California?

Tesla Motors was incorporated in California on July 1, 2003.

The company was founded by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, who initially aimed to build an electric sports car rather than a mass-market sedan. Elon Musk joined soon afterward as an early major investor and became chairman of the board.

Tesla’s original corporate name was Tesla Motors. The name honored inventor Nikola Tesla, whose work on alternating-current electricity influenced the company’s branding. The business later broadened its focus from cars to energy storage, solar products, charging infrastructure, and software.

A common mix-up is confusing Tesla’s incorporation date with the Roadster’s launch or Tesla’s initial public offering. The original Roadster entered production several years later, while Tesla’s shares began trading publicly in 2010.