The unusual story of Tesla, a company you don’t fully know
news hardware The unusual story of Tesla, a company you don’t fully know
The electric car manufacturer Tesla has become THE benchmark for vehicles with alternative energies. You probably think you know everything about this company, but you are far from it!
Elon Musk is not the founder of Tesla
This may come as a shock to many, however Elon Musk is not the founder of Tesla. Worse, it ousted the three original founders. But suddenly, what was Tesla before?
The company, called Tesla Motors, was founded on July 1, 2003 by two engineers, Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. A few months later, it was Ian Wright’s turn, Tesla’s third employee, to join the adventure. One year later, They’re organizing a $7.5 million fundraiser. Now Elon Musk is showing up. He invests $6.5 million, much of the fundraising.
Finally, Ian Wright left the company in 2004 to also found an electric car company.
Elon Musk had just amassed a fortune by selling PayPal, a company he co-founded. This allows him to move to Tesla Motors and become CEO. Two years later, a fundraiser emerged 13 million dollars. The third fundraiser is led by Elon Musk and will raise $40 million. We find big names like Sergey Brin and Larry Page, the founders of Google.
Next year 45 million dollars are harvested, bringing the total to 105 million. The Tesla Roadster prototype was first introduced in July 2006.
In 2007 the Musical Chairs began. Eberhard is ousted from the position of CEO and becomes “President of Technology”. A year later, he decides to leave. At the same time, it is Marc Tarpenning who is leaving the ship.
Martin Eberhard files a lawsuit against Tesla in 2009 see that Elon Musk presents himself as the founder of Tesla. Unfortunately, he gets the opposite from the American judiciary. It rules by naming five official founders of Tesla Motors: the two originals, Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, Ian Wright, Elon Musk, and investor Straubel.
The Tesla Roadster Revolution
Before there was an electric car, it was ugly, not very powerful, not very autonomous and used lead-acid batteries. In short, it’s a vehicle for old people… But Tesla wants to change that by proving it electric is fast and sporty.
Production of the roadster begins in 2008 and the first 147 models will be delivered in 2009. At the same time, he manages to collect $187 million. The problem is that the car is deliberately expensive. With an entry price of 84,000 euros, it still offers 370 km of autonomy and 0 to 100 in 3.9 seconds. Then a sports model is sold for 100,000 euros. The goal is to win back money to develop a cheaper vehicle.
In the unusual anecdotes we find the fact that the Tesla Roadster is actually a Lotus Elise with a battery and an electric motor. The carbon fiber body is also made in France in Saint-Méloir-des-Ondes by Sotira.
even more unusual She competed in the 2009 Grand Prix de Monte Carlo and wins in the alternative energy category. The driver at the wheel of the racing car is none other than Mathieu Kassowitz. Yes, the actor from the film La Haine, Amélie Poulain, from the Legends Office, etc. He traveled 386 km non-stop between Monaco and Valence.
Trouble begins
As of 2008, the situation is financially very complicated. Then he put half of his fortune ($70 million) in Tesla and the other half in SpaceX, also in trouble. But the problems persist and Tesla is on the verge of bankruptcy. On Christmas Eve 2008, an investor adds $40 million and bails out the automaker.
In June the state made a loan of $465 million turn the company inside out during the crisis. Tesla can then design and manufacture the Tesla Model S, the manufacturer’s first true production car.
The last Roadster was produced in 2012 and the Model S was quickly launched. The car is award-winning and very successful. It will even reach the top 1 best selling cars in Norway in 2013.
As a philanthropist, Elon Musk makes all Tesla patents accessible. He explains, “If a company relies on its patents, it either doesn’t innovate or doesn’t innovate fast enough.” We feel that a certain spade has been sent to Apple.
From 2017 the problems start again. The release of the Model 3, a more affordable but equally modern car, poses major logistical issues. Tesla is again on the verge of bankruptcy between 2017 and 2019. The manufacturer then fires and lets those who stay work a lot more. As a result, production can start and the first deliveries can be made.
Tesla starts spinning
Elon Musk will direct in 2018 a joint project of the two companies Tesla and SpaceX by sending his personal roadster into space to Mars. This step was part of the final test for its Falcon Heavy rocket.
Despite the financial difficulties in 2017 Tesla donates solar panels to Puerto Rico hospitalafter being hit by a hurricane. The following year, $37.5 million was donated to the STEM K-12 educational project in Nevada. 2020 January 2020, i.e. above all exit restrictions, Tesla donates $720,000 to a Covid research center in China.
The Model 3 is selling very well worldwide and lets Tesla see the light at the end of the tunnel in 2018. This is the model that Elon Musk wanted. From July 2019 to June 2020 Tesla reports profitable quarters. A boon for the company that financial analysts believed to be dead a few years earlier.
Today Tesla added the Model Y to its catalogue. Kind of a hybrid between Model X and 3. Last unusual info. Elon Musk didn’t name his cars randomly. Taken together, this results in: S3XY.
