Even though only a handful of people in the world can afford the cars made by Tesla, it is a name I am sure everyone is familiar with. Whether we can ever buy a Tesla car or not, it’s always interesting to know things about something that was previously unheard of. So, here is a list of 10 interesting facts about Tesla that you should know.
Also read: 15 Interesting Facts About Elon Musk
1. Tesla’s Roadster was launched in deep space
In Feb 2018, Elon Musk’s personal Tesla Roadster was carried to space by Space X’s Falcon Heavy’s (a partially reusable heavy-lift launch vehicle) maiden test flight that reached the orbit of Mars. It was the first production car to be launched into deep space.
Tesla’s Roadster in space with the earth in the background. A mannequin in a spacesuit, called “Starman”, is in the driver’s seat.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
2. The company’s name is a tribute to inventor and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla.
Tesla is named after the Serbian inventor and engineer who was a pioneer of the induction motor and alternating-current (AC) power transmission.
Tesla had once stated:
“Without Tesla‘s vision and brilliance, our car wouldn’t be possible. We’re confident that if he were alive today, Nikola Tesla would look over our 100 percent electric car and nod his head with both understanding and approval.”
3. Tesla has a dog mode that allows you to set the right temperature to keep your pet comfortable if you leave it in the car.
Tesla cars come with a dog mode, meant for your pet dog. It allows you to set the right temperature (both cooling and heating) to keep your dog comfortable.
4. Tesla was founded in July 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpennin as Tesla Motors.
Tesla was not founded by Elon Musk but by two American engineers. Elon Musk became the largest shareholder of the company in Feb 2004 with a $6.5 million investment. He has served as the CEO of Tesla since 2008.
5. Tesla is helping transition the world into sustainable energy with its Open Source Patents
Tesla has opened its several patents following the company’s mission statement – “Tesla’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy”.
Elon Musk wrote that the company has removed its several patent rights for the advancement of electric vehicle technology. Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed that several companies are now using Tesla’s open-source patents.
6. Tesla Model X has air purifying filters installed that can protect its passengers from biowarfare.
Tesla Model X has a mechanism to protect its passengers in the case of biowarfare. A purifying system filters the polluted air containing potential viruses and cleans the air inside the car regularly.
7. Tesla is one of the world’s most valuable companies and is, as of 2022, the world’s most valuable automaker.
Tesla reached $1 Trillion Market Cap in October 2021.
8. Tesla doesn’t have fully autonomous driving capabilities. The cars require human intervention at times.
Contrary to the popular belief, Tesla is not fully autonomous.
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) rates auto as per the extent to which the vehicle can make over the tasks of the driver ranging from 0 (no assistance systems) to Level (fully autonomous driving).
Level 0 _ No Automation
Level 1 _ Driver Assistance
Level 2 _ Partial Automation
Level 3 _ Conditional Automation
Level 4 _ High Automation
Level 5 _ Full Automation
Tesla’s cars are level 2 or level 3 autonomous meaning it needs human intervention and interaction at times. Tesla has been trying hard to achieve level 4 autonomy in recent future.
9. Tesla’s first car debuted in 2008, it was called “Roadster”.
Tesla’s first effort debuted in 2008. The car was named Roadster. It was designed to show how an electric car can outperform a car that consumes a lot of fuel. The supercar was in production from 2008-2012 and competed with the likes of Lamborghini and Ferrari.
10. Tesla’s full lineup is all-electric.
The company believes in sustainable resources. Therefore, their cars do not use fossil fuels but are powered by electricity. Tesla’s full lineup is all-electric.
The company believes “the faster the world stops relying on fossil fuels and moves towards a zero-emission future, the better.” That is why Tesla does not use any kind of fossil fuels for any of its cars. All of the cars are powered by batteries that need to be charged at home or a designed electric charging station.
This was our list of 10 interesting facts about Tesla that you should know.