Definition: Tesla

(1) For NVIDIA's earlier line of general-purpose GPUs, see NVIDIA Tesla.

(2) The electric vehicle company that ignited the EV revolution in the 21st century. Although Tesla is synonymous with EVs, Elon Musk prefers that Tesla be known as a technology company because it is involved with home battery storage, autonomous driving and robotics. See Robotaxi, Dojo supercomputer and SAV.

Tesla was founded in 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. After Elon Musk contributed funding in 2004, he became chairman of the board. Since 2008, he has been CEO, and due to a legal settlement was retroactively designated as a co-founder.

With its own showrooms and online ordering, Tesla sells directly to customers. There are no independent dealers as is customary in the car business. However, Tesla does operate showrooms where people can test drive the vehicles, although more than 20 states ban these retail locations or limit their number. To circumvent state laws, some showrooms have opened in tribal lands. See SpaceX and electric vehicle.

From the Ground Up
Rather than retrofit an existing car body for the huge battery necessary to power an EV, Tesla designed its vehicles from scratch. Tesla is also ahead of most other car companies in making its own batteries and charging stations.

Greater Range and More Charging Stations
In 2009, the Tesla Roadster was first with a 200-mile range. Since then, some models attained a range of 400+ miles, although other high-end EVs have reached greater distances.

In 2014, Tesla had sufficient charging stations in the U.S. to enable owners to drive from Los Angeles to New York. Initially charging was free; however, the free service was dropped in 2017 but has been resurrected from time to time for various promotions. In addition, a 2025 Consumer Reports rated three Tesla models at the top of "miles per minute" of charging (see EV charging).

Changes in Battery Technology Are Coming
Tesla is expected to switch from lithium ion to a different battery technology in its upcoming Model 2, which could substantially lower cost for consumers. Aluminum-ion and lithium iron phosphate are candidate technologies, and the retail price of the Model 2 has been teased to be a rather remarkable $18,000 to $25,000. However, as of 2025, the future of the Model 2 is clouded. Stay tuned! See aluminum-ion battery and lithium iron phosphate battery.

Nikola Tesla - Alternating Current and Radio
The company was named after Serbian-American electrical engineer Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), who made major contributions to the design of AC current in the late 1800s.

Tesla Charging Stations

Whereas other automobile manufacturers have concentrated on developing their EV technology, Tesla has invested in the ecosystem by installing chargers around the U.S. These units in Bucks County, Pennsylvania are at a Wawa convenience store and gas station.