Tesla was incorporated in July 2003. The company's name is a tribute to inventor and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla. Tesla's announced mission is to create products which help "accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy."

The company began production of its first car model, the Roadster sports car, in 2008. This was followed by the Model S sedan in 2012, the Model X SUV in 2015, the Model 3 sedan in 2017, the Model Y crossover in 2020, the Tesla Semi truck in 2022 and the Cybertruck light-duty pickup truck in 2023. The Model 3 is the all-time bestselling plug-in electric car worldwide, and in June 2021 became the first electric car to sell 1 million units globally.

Visit the official Tesla site for more information