In recent times, Tesla Motors has become a household name globally. Though it is viewed by many as a car manufacturer producing fancy electric cars, Tesla is a lot more than that. Tesla right now is in the public’s eye much more than ever before. However, there are things about Tesla that you might not be aware of. Here are some of Tesla’s lesser-known facts:
- Elon Musk did not found Tesla.
Tesla is often deemed as Elon Musk’s dream project that he started from scratch. Though Elon Musk indeed built Tesla from the ground up, he is not the one who started the company. The company was started by two engineers, Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning in 2003. Musk invested in Tesla in 2004 and assumed the position of chairman of the board. In 2008, he became the CEO of the company and in the following year, acquired the designation of its founder through a legal settlement with its founders.
- Tesla is named after the inventor of the first A.C. Motor.
Tesla is named after Nikola Tesla, a scientist, and engineer who invented the first alternating current motor. One of Tesla’s founders, Martin Eberhard thought of this name while he was enjoying his vacation with his girlfriend at Disneyland. It appears that Eberhard’s girlfriend first approved of the name and the company was incorporated on July 1, 2003.
- Google has made a handful of attempts to buy Tesla.
Google has long been trying to enter a new game by moving into the car space, particularly with self-driven vehicles. It seems that Larry Page has a wild obsession with self-driven autonomous vehicles. Page and Musk are friends. Tesla’s advanced technology is very tempting for Page and he has made massive buy-out offers to Musk several times.
- Battery Factory created by Tesla
Tesla has seen a great hike in the demand for its vehicles. Due to its recent surge in demand and forecasts of hikes in sales as well, the company is working on building the world’s largest battery factory. A factory of nearly 5.8 million square foot is being constructed in the California desert. This factory will make enough batteries to power approximately five hundred thousand cars annually.
- Tesla is not just a car manufacturer.
Many people think of Tesla as a car-manufacturing company only. However, it’s not the case. Though it was named as Tesla Motor Company when it was founded, it has evolved a lot since then and now produces more than just electric cars. Tesla’s products and services now incorporate solar panels, solar roof tiles, battery energy storage, and other related products and services.
- Tesla went nearly bankrupt a few times.
Tesla like other companies has had its ups and downs. It has run out of cash and has been on the verge of bankruptcy several times. In 2013, Tesla had running expenses of only two weeks left and came close to bankruptcy. However, every time the company neared insolvency, they always found a way to stay afloat.
