Tesla, one of the world's most valuable electric-vehicle companies by market capitalization, was incorporated in 2003.
Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning founded the company in July 2003 as Tesla Motors. The founders named it after inventor Nikola Tesla and aimed to show that electric cars could offer strong performance as well as lower direct emissions than gasoline-powered vehicles.
Elon Musk joined as an early investor and became chairman in 2004. Tesla's first production vehicle was the Roadster, introduced in 2008. The Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y later broadened the company's range and sales.
Tesla was not founded in 2008; that year is associated with the Roadster's launch and a major period of financial strain. The corporate name changed to Tesla, Inc. in 2017.