Follow for more... . . . . Ten Unknown Facts About #Tesla Founding: Tesla was founded in 2003 by engineers Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, not Elon Musk. Musk joined the company as a major investor and became its public face. Model Naming Quirk: Tesla’s car lineup follows a playful pattern: Model S, 3, X, and Y. Elon Musk has said it was meant to spell "S3XY," with the number 3 replacing an "E." Battery Focus: Tesla's breakthrough isn’t just in electric cars but also in battery technology.