2008 saw many upheavals and changes in leadership, with Elon Musk taking over as CEO in October 2008, and cutting manpower by 25 per cent.
Tesla faced financial problems in 2009 but drove through it safely by going public in 2010.
The company unveiled its mainstream consumer vehicle, named the Model S in 2011, and was critically successful, gaining a wide user base due to its lower cost (only USD 76,000!) and futuristic technology.