Tesla, Inc. is a manufacturer of cars.
Tesla, Inc. . The company specializes in electric cars , Lithium-ion battery energy storage , and , through their SolarCity subsidiary , residential solar panels . Tesla first gained widespread attention following its production of the Tesla Roadster , the first electric sports car , in 2008 . , Tesla has sold over 186,000 electric cars worldwide since delivery of its first Tesla Roadster in 2008 , making the carmaker the second largest global pure electric car manufacturer after the Renault-Nissan Alliance . For two years running , 2015 and 2016 , Tesla ranked as the world 's second best selling manufacturer of plug-in electric cars after BYD Auto .