Tesla is an American car manufacturing company. It is one of the largest producers of electric vehicles in the world. The chief executive officer (CEO) of Tesla is Elon Musk, a South African-born entrepreneur (business developer) and a co-founder of the company. Tesla, Inc. is named after Nikola Tesla, a pioneer in electrical technology. 
Tesla Motors, Inc. was founded in 2003 by the engineers and entrepreneurs Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. Elon Musk joined the company in 2004 with a large investment, becoming one of the key figures in the startup alongside other co-founders. Over the next several years, Tesla designed and developed an electric-powered sports car, the Roadster. In 2008, Eberhard and Tarpenning left the company, with Musk becoming the CEO. That year, the Roadster was released. Tesla sold nearly 2,500 Roadsters until it stopped production in 2012.
In 2010, Tesla purchased a large factory in Fremont, California. It began to produce a new electric-powered sedan called the Model S. Over the next years, sales skyrocketed. Tesla has designed several additional models of electric vehicles. Alongside sedans, these include a semi-truck and a pickup truck called the Cybertruck. 
Tesla has also developed driver-assistance software to avoid crashes and park cars. Since the initial release, this driver-assist system has grown more sophisticated. However, Tesla’s aggressive marketing of the feature, the ease of overriding safety controls, and crashes have led to criticism and legal scrutiny.
Tesla has constructed a network of charging stations for Teslas as well as electric vehicles from other manufacturers. In 2016, Tesla acquired SolarCity, a solar energy company. Afterward, Tesla Motors, Inc., changed its name to Tesla, Inc. and began to produce solar panels in addition to automobiles. In 2021, Tesla relocated its headquarters to a large factory in Austin, Texas.
