Tesla’s 22-Year EV Revolution: 2003–2025 Milestone Timeline

I received my Tesla Bomber Jacket celebrating 20 years of Tesla accelerating the transition to sustainable energy. The jacket is superb, I can’t say enough, and it also, to me, signifies the SHIFT Tesla is undergoing to where their mission is now,

Accelerating the worlds transition to sustainable abundance

It is worth taking a look back at this Tesla timeline, as so much has been accomplished in a mere 2 decades.

Tesla Timeline: Key Milestones (2003–2025)

2003

July 1: Incorporated in San Carlos, CA by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. Named after Nikola Tesla; focus on high-performance EVs inspired by AC Propulsion’s tzero.

2004

Feb: Series A funding – $7.5M raised; Elon Musk invests $6.5M, becomes chairman and largest shareholder. Roadster project kicks off using Lotus Elise chassis + 53 kWh Li-ion pack (244 mi range, <4s 0–60).

2005

2005 marked Tesla’s critical ramp-up phase, securing the foundation for its 2006 Master Plan. In February 2005, the Series B funding round closed at $13 million—led by Elon Musk—to bankroll initial engineering hires and Roadster development. From mid-2005 through 2006, engineers tested Roadster drivetrain prototypes pairing a 2-speed transmission with an AC induction motor, targeting 0–60 mph in under 4 seconds and a 245-mile range (ultimately shifting to a single-speed design by 2007).

Feb: Series B funding – $13M led by Elon with Valor Equity.
July 11: Lotus supply deal signed for Elise “gliders.”
Mid-year: Roadster dev ramp – test mules built; battery safety/thermal tests; clay models for aero.
Tesla files its first patent for a lithium-ion battery pack architecture (US Patent 7,285,361, filed Feb 2005

2006

May 19: First battery pack patent filed (US 7,432,257).
July 19: Roadster prototype unveiled in Santa Monica.
Aug 2: Elon posts “Secret Master Plan” blog – sports car → affordable car → zero-emission power.

2007

Aug: Eberhard replaced as CEO by Michael Marks amid delays/costs.

2008

Feb: First customer Roadster delivered to Elon.
Mar 17: Production starts at Lotus (UK); ~2,450 total units by end.
Oct: Elon becomes CEO; injects $40M+ personal funds amid crisis.

2009

Mar: Model S prototype unveiled; >520 reservations in weeks.

2010

May: Buys Fremont NUMMI plant for $42M.
June 29: IPO – $226M raised at $17/share (TSLA).
Oct: Fremont reopens.

2012

June 22: Model S deliveries start (up to 300 mi range).
Sep: First OTA update. Supercharger network launches.

2013

End-year: >22,000 vehicles delivered. Quarterly profitability achieved.

2015

Oct: Autopilot introduced (HW1). Model X deliveries.

2016

Mar 31: Model 3 unveiled; >300K reservations in a week.
July 20: Master Plan Part Deux.
Nov 21: SolarCity acquisition ($2.6B).

2017

July: Model 3 production starts.
Aug: $1.8B senior notes.

2018

Q3: >5K Model 3/week; profitability. ~145K Model 3 delivered.

2019

Mar 14: Model Y unveiled.
Apr 22: Autonomy Day – FSD hardware.
Dec: Shanghai Gigafactory starts Model 3.

2020

Mar 13: Model Y deliveries.
Sep 22: Battery Day – 4680 cells announced.
End: ~79K Model Y.

2021

Early: Shanghai Model Y.
Oct: FSD Beta rollout. Berlin groundbreaking (2020) → pilot lines.

2022

Mar: Berlin opens (Model Y).
Apr: Texas opens (Model Y with 4680). >1.5M annual capacity.
Nov: Cybertruck prototype updates.

Giga Texas Coordinates (30.22087° N, 97.61864° W)

Embroidered in gold thread on the chest.

Why diamond-aligned to true north? Likely it is for Enhanced functionality inside the factory and ideally positioned solar panels to maximize solar energy use. Elon said in a 2021 post on X that the factory was:

“Shaped like a diamond & aligned on true north.” – Elon Musk

2023