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{{see also|History of Tesla Inc.}}
This is a [[wikipedia:timeline|timeline]] of the [[wikipedia:American company|American company]] [[wikipedia:Tesla, Inc.|Tesla, Inc.]], a [[wikipedia:car manufacturer|car manufacturer]], energy storage manufacturer, and solar power installer.
==Big picture==
| 2003–2004|| Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning founded Tesla. Initial prototype, and received series A funding in 2004, led by Elon Musk.
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|2004–2007|| Eberhard was CEO leading the Tesla development. Tesla continually designs prototypes for the [[wikipedia:Tesla Roadster|Tesla Roadster]]. Elon Musk was Chairman of the board, contributing to the car design and market strategy.
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| 2008–2012 || Elon Musk gains control of Tesla and injects millions of his fortune into the company, which narrowly escapes bankruptcy. These are the years where Tesla sells its [[wikipedia:Tesla Roadster|Tesla Roadster]]s. Sales end when Tesla runs out of Lotus gliders by 2012. Tesla reaches 3,000 employees by the end of 2012.
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| 2012–2015|| Tesla starts selling the [[wikipedia:Model S|Model S]] and achieves rapidly growing sales. Tesla expands its network of [[wikipedia:Supercharger|Supercharger]] stations to cover the entire United States, and expands to other countries. Cumulative sales passed 90,000 units by October 2015. By 2015, Tesla introduces rudimentary self-driving software into its vehicles.
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|2004||April||Funding||Elon Musk leads the company's $7.5 million Series A financing round and becomes chairman of the board.<ref name="MyUser_Businessinsider.com_November_8_2015c"/><ref name="MyUser_Https:_November_8_2015c">{{cite web |url=https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/tesla-motors |title=Tesla Motors |newspaper= |date= |author= |accessdate= November 8, 2015}}</ref>
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|2005||February||Funding||Elon Musk injects $13 million more into the company in a Series B round during the development of the yet-announced [[wikipedia:Tesla Roadster|Tesla Roadster]].<ref name="MyUser_Https:_November_8_2015c"/>
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|2005||July||Legal||On July 11, Tesla signs production contract for Lotus to manufacture complete cars for what would later become the Tesla Roadster.<ref name="MyUser_Contracts.onecle.com_November_29_2015c">{{cite web |url=http://contracts.onecle.com/tesla-motors/lotus-supply-2005-07-11.shtml |title=Supply Agreement for Products and Services - Lotus Cars Ltd. and Tesla Motors Inc. - Sample Contracts and Business Forms |newspaper=Contracts.onecle.com |date= |author= |accessdate= November 29, 2015}}</ref>
|2006||May||Funding||Elon Musk and Technology Partners raise $40 million in a Series C round for Tesla.<ref name="MyUser_Https:_November_8_2015c"/>
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|2007||November||Team||[[wikipedia:Ze'ev Drori|Ze'ev Drori]] becomes CEO and President.<ref name="MyUser_Businessinsider.com_November_8_2015c"/>
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|2008||March||Product||Tesla starts producing the Roadster.<ref name="MyUser_Businessinsider.com_November_8_2015c"/>
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|2008||June||Product||Tesla announces the [[wikipedia:Model S|Model S]] on June 30, with a starting price of $50,000.<ref name="MyUser_Treehugger.com_November_28_2015c">{{cite web |url=http://www.treehugger.com/cars/teslas-next-electric-car-to-be-called-model-s-new-factory-to-open-in-north-california.html |title=Tesla's Next Electric Car to be Called "Model S", New Factory to Open in North California : TreeHugger |newspaper=Treehugger.com |date= |author= |accessdate= November 28, 2015}}</ref>
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|2008||August||Team||Tesla hires [[wikipedia:Franz von Holzhausen|Franz von Holzhausen]] as its chief designer. He is involved in the design of the [[wikipedia:Tesla Model S|Tesla Model S]].<ref name="AUTOBLOG1">{{cite web |url=http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/04/franz-von-holzhausen-to-tesla-motors/ |title=Breaking: Franz von Holzhausen to Tesla Motors as design director! |newspaper=Autoblog.com |date= |author= |accessdate= November 12, 2015}}</ref>
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|2008||October||Team||Musk succeeds Drori as CEO.<ref name="MyUser_Businessinsider.com_November_8_2015c"/> By then, in what he described as the "worst year of his life", he had divorced [[wikipedia:Justine Musk|Justine Musk]] and has cumulatively injected $70 million of his money into Tesla.
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|2008||November||Funding||Tesla raises $40 million in a debt-financing round and narrowly escapes bankruptcy.<ref name="WiredFunding">{{cite web |url=https://www.wired.com/2008/11/tesla-adds-40-m/ |title=Tesla Adds $40 Million to Its Coffers |newspaper=Wired.com |date= |author= |accessdate= November 29, 2015}}</ref>
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|2009||May||Company||Tesla enters into a strategic partnership with [[wikipedia:Daimler AG|Daimler AG]], which acquires 10% equity stake in Tesla for $50 million.<ref name="MyUser_Autoblog.com_November_12_2015c">{{cite web |url=http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/19/daimler-buys-10-stake-in-tesla-will-supply-parts-and-engineeri/ |title=Daimler buys 10% stake in Tesla, will supply parts and engineering |newspaper=Autoblog.com |date= |author= |accessdate= November 12, 2015}}</ref>
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|2009||June||Funding||Tesla takes a $465 million loan from the United States Department of Energy. It repays its loan by May 2013.<ref name="MyUser_Cnbc.com_November_5_2015c">{{cite web |url=http://www.cnbc.com/id/100759230 |title=Tesla Repays $465 Million Loan from Federal Program |newspaper=Cnbc.com |date= |author= |accessdate= November 5, 2015}}</ref>
|2010||June||Funding||On June 29, Tesla goes IPO at $17 per share.<ref name="MyUser_Techcrunch.com_November_8_2015c">{{cite web |url=http://techcrunch.com/2010/06/28/tesla-prices-ipo-at-17-per-share/ |title=Tesla Prices IPO At $17 Per Share |newspaper=Techcrunch.com |date= |author= |accessdate= November 8, 2015}}</ref>
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|2010||October||Company||Tesla officially takes possession of the [[wikipedia:Tesla Factory|Tesla Factory]] site in [[wikipedia:Fremont, CA|Fremont, CA]] and opens it.<ref name="MyUser_Ir.teslamotors.com_November_5_2015c">{{cite web |url=http://ir.teslamotors.com/releasedetail.cfm?releaseid=523911 |title=Tesla Motors Opens Tesla Factory - Home of the Model S (NASDAQ:TSLA) |newspaper=Ir.teslamotors.com |date= |author= |accessdate= November 5, 2015}}</ref>
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|2012||February||Product||On February 9, Tesla unlocks the [[wikipedia:Tesla Model X|Model X]] SUV.<ref name="BLOGModelX">{{cite web |url=https://www.teslamotors.com/blog/tesla-unveils-model-x |title=Tesla Unveils Model X |newspaper= |date= |author= |accessdate= November 28, 2015}}</ref>
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|2012||June||Product||On June 22, Tesla officially starts selling its [[wikipedia:Model S|Model S]].<ref name="MyUser_Https:_November_28_2015c">{{cite web |url=https://www.cars.com/articles/2012/06/2012-tesla-model-s-deliveries-start-today-epa-figures-official/ |title=2012 Tesla Model S Deliveries Start Today, EPA Figures Official |newspaper= |date= |author= |accessdate= November 28, 2015}}</ref>
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|2013||June||Product||On June 11, Tesla announces the goal to deploy a battery swapping station in each of its existing supercharging stations, now to be renamed Tesla stations.<ref name="MyUser_CNN_November_29_2015c">{{cite web |url=http://money.cnn.com/2013/06/21/autos/tesla-battery-swap/ |title=Tesla unveils 90-second battery-pack swap - Jun. 21, 2013 |newspaper=CNN |date= |author= |accessdate= November 29, 2015}}</ref>
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|2013||October||Product||On October 2, a Tesla [[wikipedia:Model S|Model S]] catches on fire after hitting debris on the highway.<ref name="MyUser_The_New_York_Times_November_5_2015c">{{cite web |url=http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/02/highway-fire-of-tesla-model-s-included-its-lithium-battery/ |title=Tesla Says Car Fire Started in Battery |publisher=The New York Times |date=2013-10-02 |author= |accessdate= November 5, 2015}}</ref>
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|2014||March||Legal||[[wikipedia:New Jersey|New Jersey]] bans sales of the Tesla in the state, by finding that Tesla’s sales model violated regulations requiring that auto sales happen through a middleman franchisee.<ref name="MyUser_Wired.com_November_28_2015c">{{cite web |url=https://www.wired.com/2014/03/tesla-banned-ensure-process-buying-car-keeps-sucking/ |title=New Jersey Bans Tesla to Ensure Buying a Car Will Always Suck |newspaper=Wired.com |date= |author= |accessdate= November 28, 2015}}</ref>
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|2014||June||Company||Tesla open-sources its patents.<ref name="TM1">{{cite web |url=http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/all-our-patent-are-belong-you |title=All Our Patent Are Belong To You |newspaper=Teslamotors.com |date= |author= |accessdate= November 8, 2015}}</ref>
|2015||February||Competition||Apple rumored to be working on a project, codenamed "Titan", to create an Apple-branded electric vehicle that resembles a minivan.<ref name="MyUser_The_Wall_Street_Journal_November_29_2015c">{{cite web |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/apples-titan-car-project-to-challenge-tesla-1423868072 |title=Apple Gears Up to Challenge Tesla in Electric Cars |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date= |author= |accessdate= November 29, 2015}}</ref>
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|2015||March||Legal||On March 18, [[wikipedia:Chris Christie|Chris Christie]] signs a law reversing [[wikipedia:New Jersey|New Jersey]]'s ban on Tesla selling its cars directly in New Jersey.<ref name="MyUser_Theverge.com_November_28_2015c">{{cite web |url=http://www.theverge.com/2015/3/18/8251821/tesla-new-jersey-direct-sales-dealerships-christie |title=In major reversal, New Jersey allows Tesla to sell its cars directly, without dealerships |newspaper=Theverge.com |date= |author= |accessdate= November 28, 2015}}</ref>
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|2015||April||Product||Tesla announces the [[wikipedia:Tesla Powerwall|Tesla Powerwall]] - a set of high-capacity batteries that can be used for home energy storage.<ref name="MyUser_Popsci.com_November_12_2015c">{{cite web |url=http://www.popsci.com/teslas-big-announcement |title=Tesla's Big Announcement Is PowerWall: A Battery For Your Home |newspaper=Popsci.com |date= |author= |accessdate= November 12, 2015}}</ref>
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|2015||September||Competition||[[wikipedia:Porsche|Porsche]] unveils its new Mission E electric car concept at the International Auto Show in Frankfurt. It will be expected to reach the market by 2020.<ref name="MyUser_Fortune.com_November_29_2015c">{{cite web |url=http://fortune.com/2015/09/15/porsche-electric-car-tesla/ |title=Porsche's New Mission E Electric Car: ‘Better Than A Tesla' - Fortune |newspaper=Fortune.com |date= |author= |accessdate= November 29, 2015}}</ref>
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|2015||September||Product||Tesla officially starts deliveries of the [[wikipedia:Tesla Model X|Model X]].<ref name="MyUser_Greencarcongress.com_November_28_2015c">{{cite web |url=http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/09/20140930-modelx.html |title=Green Car Congress: Tesla CEO Musk launches Model X electric SUV: "safest SUV ever" |newspaper=Greencarcongress.com |date= |author= |accessdate= November 28, 2015}}</ref>
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|2015||October||Product||Tesla introduces autopilot for its [[wikipedia:Model S|Model S]].<ref name="MyUser_Teslamotors.com_November_8_2015c">{{cite web |url=http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/your-autopilot-has-arrived |title=Your Autopilot has arrived |newspaper=Teslamotors.com |date= |author= |accessdate= November 8, 2015}}</ref> The software already starts auto-improving later the month.<ref name="MyUser_Qz.com_November_5_2015c">{{cite web |url=http://qz.com/538436/tesla-model-s-autopilot/ |title=Tesla's self-driving car is already getting smarter - Quartz |newspaper=Qz.com |date= |author= |accessdate= November 5, 2015}}</ref> Later, Tesla restricted autopilot mode to stop people from doing "crazy things".
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|2015||December||Product||Global sales of the Model S achieved the 100,000 unit milestone.<ref name=ModelS100K>{{cite news |url=http://www.hybridcars.com/tesla-model-s-crossed-100000-sales-milestone-this-month/ |title=Tesla Model S Crossed 100,000 Sales Milestone This Month |author=Jeff Cobb |publisher=HybridCars.com |date=2015-12-15 |accessdate=2015-12-16}}</ref>
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|2016||April||Product||Tesla Unveils the [[wikipedia:Tesla Model 3|Model 3]]. Aimed for mass market consumers so it is planned to have a more affordable price<ref name="BBC">{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35953817 |title=Tesla Model 3 |newspaper=BBC News |date= |author=BBC |accessdate= April 3, 2016}}</ref> of $35,000 (£24,423) and will have a range of at least 215 miles (346km) per charge. It has over 375,000 pre-orders<ref name="the guardian">{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/apr/04/tesla-motors-sells-10bn-model-3-two-days |title=Model 3 pre-orders |newspaper=theguardian News |date= |author=the guardian |accessdate= April 3, 2016}}</ref> that exceeded expectations; the car is due to be delivered in late 2017.<ref name="arstechnica">{{cite web |url=http://arstechnica.com/cars/2016/04/with-300m-and-counting-in-model-s-pre-orders-how-can-tesla-handle-that-cash/ |title=Delivery second half 2017 |newspaper=Ars tecnica |date= |author=Ars tecnica |accessdate= April 4, 2016}}</ref>
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|2017||February||Company||Tesla Motors is renamed to Tesla Inc.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/02/01/tesla-motors-inc-is-now-officially-tesla-inc/|publisher=TechCrunch|title=Tesla Motors, Inc. is now officially Tesla, Inc.|date=February 1, 2017|access-date=February 1, 2017}}</ref>
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|2017||February||Company||Tesla begins operating in [[wikipedia:Portugal|Portugal]] and [[wikipedia:Taiwan|Taiwan]].<ref>[https://qz.com/905790/elon-musk-says-tesla-electric-cars-could-arrive-in-india-this-summer/ Tesla’s electric cars could be cruising down Indian streets this summer, Elon Musk says]</ref>
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|2017||February||Company|| [[wikipedia:Consumer Reports|Consumer Reports]] ranks Tesla as the top American car brand and the 8th among global carmakers.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.consumerreports.org/cars-which-car-brands-make-the-best-vehicles-2017/ |title=Which Car Brands Make the Best Vehicles? |first=Jeff S. |last=Bartlett |work=[[wikipedia:Consumer Reports|Consumer Reports]] |date=February 28, 2017 |accessdate=March 3, 2017}}</ref>
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{{Tesla Motors}}
[[wikipedia:Category:Automobile company timelines|Tesla Motors]][[wikipedia:Category:Tesla Inc.|*Timeline]]
