Tesla is named after Nikola Tesla.
Tesla, Inc. was originally incorporated in 2003 as Tesla Motors. The company’s founders chose the name to honor Nikola Tesla, the Serbian-American inventor and electrical engineer associated with alternating-current power systems, induction motors, and the Tesla coil.
Tesla’s first production vehicle was the Roadster, launched in 2008. It used lithium-ion battery cells and demonstrated that an electric sports car could offer substantial performance and driving range. Tesla later introduced the Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y, expanding from a niche performance vehicle into mass-market electric cars.
Tesla also sells energy-storage products and solar-energy systems. Its market capitalization has often been unusually large relative to traditional automakers because investors have valued its growth prospects, software capabilities, battery technology, and potential role in future transportation.