Tesla was founded in 2003 under the original corporate name Tesla Motors.
The company was incorporated by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning in July 2003. Ian Wright joined soon afterward, while Elon Musk led the company’s first major investment round and became chairman. JB Straubel also played an important early technical role. The company was named after inventor Nikola Tesla.
Tesla initially concentrated on electric vehicles and developed the Roadster, which used a modified Lotus Elise chassis and lithium-ion battery cells. The Model S later established Tesla as a major manufacturer of long-range electric cars, followed by the Model X, Model 3, and Model Y. Tesla changed its name from Tesla Motors to Tesla, Inc. in 2017. A common mix-up is treating Elon Musk as the sole founder; he was an early investor and later became the company’s leading executive, but the corporation predates his involvement.