Tesla Motors was incorporated on July 1, 2003, under the name of Tesla Motors in San Carlos, California by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning as founders of the company.
EV1 was a range of electric vehicles ordered by General Motors in 2003 that led to the envision that this entry step had opened a suitable niche for battery-electric vehicles.
Another employee joined the company as the third one six months after. In January 2004, the initial capital was raised in the form of venture capital (VC)in which Elon Musk made a massive investment.