The Electric Car Company That's Taking Over the World

How did a company worth less than $3 billion in 2012 end up as the most valuable car company in the world just four years later? To many, it came out of nowhere and without warning. But that’s where you’d be wrong—there were plenty of signs Tesla would explode onto the scene, especially for investors with eyes to see. Here's everything you need to know about the electric car company that’s taking over the world.



Who is Tesla?

In 2003, Tesla Motors was founded by a group of engineers from Silicon Valley. Tesla was founded to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable transportation, and since then it has helped advance that dream. With each new product or technology introduced, Tesla looks for ways to reduce costs and improve efficiency to produce affordable electric vehicles for everyone. It is named after Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), a Serbian-American inventor and engineer who is often called the father of electrical engineering. He invented alternating current electricity supply systems, remote control devices, and many other innovations. At the turn of the century, Tesla had amassed over 300 patents worldwide and became one of the most famous scientists around.


What does Tesla make?


Tesla makes electric cars. They are a company that specializes in electric vehicles, energy storage, and sustainable transportation. Tesla wants to be the first successful American car company in over a century. They want to change not just automotive transportation, but also how we use electricity.
In 2003, Elon Musk and JB Straubel co-founded Tesla Motors with an initial $10 million investment ($1.3 billion today). Musk is the CEO of Tesla and oversees day-to-day operations and long-term planning for the company. A self-made billionaire who was at one time living on food stamps, he has done this before: He took Paypal public; served as its Chairman and then its President; saved SpaceX from financial ruin with his personal fortune when it was close to collapse; developed the world’s largest online marketplace and free web browser (called The Internet); founded Neuralink which may someday help human beings keep up with artificial intelligence or even leap ahead of it.
In March 2017, Tesla merged with SolarCity which provides solar power systems as well as roofing services, creating an eco-friendly way to power homes.


Why are people talking about Tesla?


Tesla has been in the news a lot lately, and for good reason. Founded in 2003 by Elon Musk, Tesla is an American car company that specializes in electric cars. Tesla has had their ups and downs, but they're back on top now with its Model S P85D: the fastest production car ever built. One of the reasons people are so interested in Tesla is because they sell a cool product: an electric car that doesn't rely on gasoline to operate. This means you'll save money at the gas pump while simultaneously reducing your carbon footprint--both great things! Another major reason people talk about Tesla is that they're doing something most major automakers have failed to do: delivering on a promise of innovation. With their newer models like the Model X and 3, Tesla promises to be cheaper than what we've seen from them before. Plus, since it's powered by electricity, there are no engine ills associated with internal combustion engines. In other words? You can enjoy your Teslas worry-free! One way Tesla gets the word out is through its Twitter account (@teslamotors). If you follow them, then you'll be kept up-to-date on everything they have going on as well as exciting events surrounding Tesla. They also take a lot of questions via this medium, which can lead to some interesting conversations. Furthermore, Tesla offers job opportunities around the world (yes, including Canada!) through its Careers page and Jobs @ Tesla tab. I would suggest checking out these pages if you're interested in working for one of the coolest companies around--or even just want to see if there might be any positions open in your area!


How did Tesla get started?


This year, Tesla will start deliveries of its Model 3 to customers. The Model 3 is Tesla's first mass-market electric car. This will also be the first time Tesla has started delivering a vehicle to customers with a price tag of $35,000 or less. Tesla anticipates that it can produce 500,000 vehicles per year in 2020 and one million cars per year by 2025. 

In addition to delivering affordable electric cars to drivers around the world, Tesla also hopes to support sustainable energy production through their development of solar roofs and large-scale battery packs. Solar Roofs are roof shingles made up of tempered glass tiles that contain photovoltaic cells. Large-scale battery packs are designed to store power generated by renewable sources so they can be used during peak hours or when the sun isn't shining. It is estimated that Tesla's Gigafactory could supply enough batteries to power 500,000 electric vehicles every year.

Industry experts have been praising Tesla for their commitment to innovation and forward-thinking attitude toward sustainability. However, some critics point out the company has yet to turn an annual profit since it was founded 15 years ago.


What are Tesla's plans for the future?


The company has an aggressive plan to produce 500,000 cars per year by 2020. This is a significant increase in production that could put Tesla on par with major car companies like Toyota and General Motors. And there are more plans for expansion after 2020. It wants to build a factory in China and open another plant in Europe. With these new factories, Tesla believes it can reach its goal of producing one million cars per year by 2025.

This would make Tesla the first electric car company to have such a production output. It would also put it at the forefront of an industry that is seeing increased competition from automakers like General Motors, BMW, and Volkswagen who are all working on their electric vehicle technology as well. But Tesla is banking on the scale to be competitive because other automakers cannot yet meet demand. Its latest Model 3 has over 400,000 reservations despite costing over $35k and having no firm release date. In the past six months alone, Elon Musk has tweeted about his Top Secret Masterplan four times. One tweet says: I think it will most likely be around 2 or 3 years before we hit our stride but I think there is some good potential for us then.