Tesla Motors

Tesla Motors, Inc. is an American company that designs, manufactures, and sells electric cars and electric vehicle powertrain components. Tesla Motors was formed in July 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, who financed the company until the Series A round of funding. Tesla Motors is named after electrical engineer and physicist Nikola Tesla.The Tesla Roadster uses an AC motor descended directly from Tesla's original 1882 design.The Tesla Roadster, the company's first vehicle, is the first production automobile to use lithium-ion battery cells and the first production EV with a range greater than 200 miles (320 km) per charge. Between 2008 and March 2012, Tesla sold more than 2,250 Roadsters in 31 countries. Tesla was founded in San Carlos, California, in Silicon Valley. Tesla opened its first retail store in Los Angeles, California, in April 2008 and a second in Menlo Park, California, in July 2008. The company's  display showroom is in New York City's Chelsea art district it opened in July 2009. Tesla Motors first gained widespread attention following their production of the Tesla Roadster, the first fully electric sports car. The company's second vehicle is the Model S, a fully electric luxury sedan.Tesla also markets electric powertrain components, including lithium-ion battery packs to automakers including Daimler and Toyota. A vehicle under $40,000 is not expected until at least 2017.