Tesla began its journey as Tesla Motors on July 1, 2003. It was founded by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. They chose the name ?Tesla? because it was catchy, it did not sound too ?green,? and it honored Nikola Tesla. Elon Musk joined Tesla in 2004 as an investor. Musk was the driving force behind multiple rounds of additional funding. He helped Tesla raise more than $105 million from well-known people such as Google cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. His popularity created buzz around Tesla. Start Your Engine Despite a short history, Tesla has become one of the most famous automakers in the world. It has changed the EV industry by creating and following what it calls its ?master plan.? What started as an interest in making a fast and fun electric car has led to new and exciting products and technology. Hold On to Your Hat