What It Does: Tesla specialises in the design, creation, and marketing of electric automobiles as well as household and grid-scale battery energy storage. The company also designs and manufactures powerwalls, solar roof tiles and solar panels.
Mission: Tesla’s mission is to create a world powered by solar energy, run by batteries and transported by electric vehicles.
Size and Presence: Tesla employs thousands of workers across its 25 offices in the UK.
Best Known For: In terms of market capitalisation, Tesla is regarded as the most valuable automotive company in the world and one of the most valuable companies generally. Last year, Tesla became the sixth corporation in American history to hit the $1 trillion valuation mark.
The Good Bits: The pay is competitive. The company offers its employees numerous benefits. There are plenty of learning opportunities.
The Not-So-Good Bits: The work is intense.
In 2003, Martin Eberhard and Marc Tapenning founded Tesla Motors Inc as the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, respectively. Eberhard's vision for Tesla Motors is an automaker that's also a tech company, and its core technologies will be the battery, software, and proprietary motor. The following year, Tesla raised $7.5 million (£6.4 million) in its Series A funding. Most of the funds, $6.5 million (£5.7 million), came from Elon Musk. Being the largest shareholder of the company, he became the chairman of the Tesla Board. In 2005, Musk became active in the company and supervised the Roadster product design but was less involved in the actual day-to-day operations. Tesla wanted to start with a race car, then divest into conventional vehicles such as sedans and compacts.
Elon Musk oversaw various rounds of investments in the company. The fourth one put the total amount at $105 million. The Roadster, Tesla's pioneer vehicle, was introduced at a private event in Santa Monica, California. The company started production of the car in 2008. Tesla had its IPO in 2010. Two years later, Tesla stopped manufacturing the Roadster and started production of the Model S, which won numerous awards. Tesla announced its autopilot system in 2014. Today, the company is one of the biggest automakers in the world.
Tesla is interested in and invested in the growth and development of its employees. The company encourages and rewards hard and smart work. However, the company also encourages employees to take breaks between work to prevent burning out. Each of the company's policies and values is geared towards improvement. Tesla has a very healthy working environment fostered by collaboration and inclusion. The company is made of diverse individuals united by a common vision and willing to join forces on certain projects to realise that vision.
The company also provides equitable opportunities for all its employees regardless of their race, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and social status. The company’s dress code is a black cotton shirt bearing the company’s logo and black cotton pants without zippers, rivets, or buttons.
Tesla offers its internship programs to undergraduate students and recent graduates with no previous employment experience. This program presents them with an opportunity to kick-start their career. Through this program, Tesla interns can make a real impact through their involvement in meaningful work and high-impact projects. They get to hone and expand technical skills, surpassing the company's expectations and even performing at the same level of excellence as the company's full-time employees.
After selecting suitable applicants, the company picks its employees through the following;
The company pays its fresh graduates an average annual pay of £34,000.
Tesla is actively supporting environmental sustainability; the company generates more clean energy than it consumes. Its cars also emit zero carbon into the environment.
There’s no widely published controversy.