tsla originally called Tesla Motors until1 st February 20174 , is a manufacturer of electric cars headquartered in Palo Alto , California , in Silicon Valley , in the United States . The company was founded in 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning and its main character and current boss is Elon Musk who made the company a manufacturer of electric cars for the general public. It takes its name from the inventor Nikola Tesla . Tesla's mission is “to accelerate the global transition to a sustainable energy plan” 5, in particular by stimulating automotive competitiveness in the electrical sector . The brand is distinguished by the performances as well as by the on-board technologies of its vehicles ( autopilot , defense mode against biochemical weapons, etc.). The Model S family sedan is currently the fastest accelerating production electric vehicle in the world.
The company has diversified into energy solutions, notably in the form of stationary batteries: powerwall for the residential sector and powerpack for the industrial sector. In 2016 , the merger with the company SolarCity added photovoltaic panels and tiles to its product portfolio 6 .
The Model S , a high-end family sedan produced by Tesla since 2012, became the best-selling 100% electric car in the world in 2015 and 2016 7 . Its sales reached 200,000 in the fourth quarter of 2017. Inseptember 2015, the manufacturer is releasing the Model X , an SUV derived from the Model S. In accordance with the company plan published in 2006, the company is launchingjuly 2017a compact sedan more affordable than the Model S, called Model 3 8 . Tesla exceeds 300,000 vehicles produced infebruary 20189 and reached the first million vehicles produced inMarch 202010 .