Tesla Motors was founded in 2003 "by a group of engineers in Silicon Valley who wanted to prove that electric cars could be better than gasoline-powered cars." The company's first car, the Roadster, was launched in 2008 and the second car, the Model S, was launched in 2012. The company has been a major success since its inception, and while it still is not turning a profit, its revenues are increasing and the losses are diminishing (TeslaMotors.com, 2015). The company's products have received rave reviews in general, something that has only increased its popularity. There have been some issues, however, with established franchise car dealers, who have in some cases launched legal challenges to Tesla's business model, which does not include franchised dealers (Gilbert, 2014). This level of corruption - an established interest buying laws from politicians who oppose free market capitalism - has not stopped the company's rapid growth.

In 2010, the company had its initial public offering (IPO), raising $226.1 million. The stock surged immediately and since that point has surged to a tremendous degree, increasing in value several times over. Some of the investors in Tesla today are Daimler and Toyota, and the U.S. government lent Tesla some capital early on, which has...

Musk, who had also started PayPal, used capital earned from the sale of that business. The visionary behind Tesla, he has been influential in its growth, and in its ability to attract top engineering talent in Silicon Valley to outperform the established automakers.
Geographic Scope

Tesla is based in Silicon Valley, and the U.S. forms its core market. Tesla vehicles are sold in 37 states plus DC. According to its latest annual report, the company sells in the U.S., Canada, and has recently entered Europe, China, and Australia with its vehicles. China instantly became the company's 2nd-largest market; the 3rd-largest is Norway. Sales in the U.S. stalled in 2014, but this was more than made up for by strong sales internationally. It is expected that Tesla will be able to sustain very strong growth internationally for years to come, and the company is planning to build an assembly plant in the Netherlands.

Mission and Vision

The company's stated mission is "to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable transport" and it does not have a…