Introduction
Tesla, Inc. is a renowned American electric vehicle and clean energy company that has significantly revolutionized the automotive industry. Founded in 2003 by a group of engineers who wanted to prove that electric vehicles could be better, faster, and more fun to drive than gasoline cars, Tesla today stands as a leading player in the EV market (Karamitsios, 2013)[^1^]. The company’s business model is unique in the auto industry as it does not use traditional dealerships and sells vehicles directly to consumers.
Tesla’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. To achieve this, the company produces a variety of electric vehicles, from the more affordable Model 3 to the high-performance Roadster. Tesla also produces scalable clean energy generation and storage products, and it continues to make its vehicles and energy products more accessible to a broader audience (Karamitsios, 2013)[^1^].
Tesla’s growth has been remarkable. In 2020, the company delivered nearly 500,000 vehicles, a 36% increase over the previous year (Karamitsios, 2013)[^1^]. This growth is driven by the increasing demand for electric vehicles as consumers become more environmentally conscious. Tesla’s market capitalization has also skyrocketed, making it one of the most valuable companies in the world.
Tesla’s ownership structure is also noteworthy. The company went public in 2010, and its largest shareholder is CEO Elon Musk, who owns about 20% of the company’s shares. Other major shareholders include institutional investors like Baillie Gifford & Co. and T. Rowe Price Associates.
In the following sections, we will delve deeper into Tesla’s management practices, its approach to human resources, and how it creates a competitive advantage in the market.
References
[^1^]: Karamitsios, A. (2013). Open Innovation in EVs: A Case Study of Tesla Motors. 17th International Conference on Engineering, Technology and Innovation (ICE), 1-11. [DOI: 10.1109/ICE.2013.6683883](https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6683883)
[^2^]: Tesla, Inc. (2021). Tesla 2020 Impact Report. [Link](https://www.tesla.com/ns_videos/2020-tesla-impact-report.pdf)
[^3^]: Tesla, Inc. (2021). Tesla Q4 2020 Vehicle Production & Deliveries. [Link](https://www.tesla.com/en_gb/blog/q4-2020-vehicle-production-deliveries)
[^4^]: Yahoo Finance. (2021). Tesla, Inc. (TSLA) Ownership Summary. [Link](https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/TSLA/holders/)