Tesla is the world's largest electric automaker based on cumulative sales. Its efforts in the electric automobile industry are the primary catalyst for the gradual shift from fossil fuels to electric power in the industry. Though the Tesla Roadster was the first car it manufactured, it wasn’t until the Model S that people started to take note of their advancements in technology.
Early EVs (Electric Vehicles) used very primitive Lead-Acid batteries. The founders, Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning created the “Rocket eBook” which used more advanced battery technology, Lithium-Ion batteries. They used this knowledge of the technology to start a car company, Tesla Motors. Their first car, the Roadster, was based on the chassis of a Lotus Elise and was powered by a motor from AC Propulsion. In 2004, Tesla needed funding and their current CEO, Elon Musk, invested in the company after selling PayPal. The Tesla Roadster was announced to go on sale at the end of 2006, but last-minute changes of design, ergonomics and safety caused the debut to be delayed multiple times. Elon Musk took over control of the company and debuted the Roadster in 2008. Consequentially, 2,400 roadsters were sold from 2008-2012.
In 2012, Tesla announced the release of their Model S, a large feature-laden family car that was comfortable too. The car might have been designed to be a family car but was ridiculously quick. With a 0-100 km/h of 2.3 seconds, 588 bhp, and 920 lb-ft (pound-feet) of torque, the car was one of the quickest accelerating production cars in the world. Tesla was unlike any other manufacturer in its production cycle. Rather than giving their cars a new generation after a few years, they distinguish their cars generations by making them a whole different vehicle.
In 2015, Tesla decided it was time for their second-generation vehicle: Model X. It was the first successful fully-electric SUV. It shared 30% of its parts with the Model S but didn’t get as much range because of its worse aerodynamics and its increased weight. Despite weighing 2509 kgs, the SUV went from 0-100 km/h in 2.9 seconds, as fast as a Ferrari 488, making it the quickest accelerating SUV ever. The SUV was given “falcon doors” which opened upwards and were designed to be able to open in tight spaces. These doors, however, delayed the debut of the Model X because of supplier issues. These delays infuriated the 30,000 customers that placed pre-orders for the Model X and the production felt rushed. This caused the build quality to suffer and complaints about the quality of the Model X rolled in. Elon Musk hired the leading experts in the industry from Ford, GM, etc. to help smoothen out the process.
The Tesla Model 3 was debuted in 2017 and was Tesla’s greatest success, amassing 325,000 reservations for it in one week. The Tesla Model 3 was the number 1 selling car of 2018 in the US, outselling Mercedes, Audi, and all the other major players. The Model 3 came with various trim levels. The fastest one, the Model 3 Performance, had 450 bhp and went from 0-100km/h in 3.3 seconds.
Tesla has bright plans for the future of commuting, with the release of the Cybertruck and the Roadster 2020 slated in the future. Electric cars are the future of the automobile and Tesla is leading the pack, innovating and constantly improving.
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