Forgotten founder of Tesla shared how to properly pronounce the company's name and a lot of us have been very wrong
Published on Jul 30, 2025 at 3:58 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Jul 30, 2025 at 12:12 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Tesla founder Martin Eberhard has revealed how to pronounce the company’s name, and it might come as a surprise to some folks.
While we may mostly associate Tesla with CEO Elon Musk, it was actually founded by Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning in 2003.
Originally incorporated as Tesla Motors, its name is a tribute to the late inventor Nikola Tesla.
But it turns out that the name might not be pronounced as you thought.
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The Tesla founder confirmed how to say the company’s name
Tesla founder Martin Eberhard recently took part in an interview with Kim Java in which he chatted about all things Tesla, including how he came up with the name.
“I had been thinking about a name for the company for a while now and I didn’t like anything,” he said.
“I tried this and tried that and I… naming a company is difficult anyways, I never pick on somebody for the name of the company because if you manage to get the domain name and get the trademark, congratulations, no matter how lame the name.”
However, inspiration struck when he was on a date with a woman named Caroline, who later went on to become his wife.
He suggested the name Tesla Motors to Caroline, and she ‘liked it immediately’.
A couple of days later, he mentioned the suggestion to Tarpenning over coffee, who was seemingly equally as struck by it and quickly bought the domain name – and the rest is history.
The Tesla founder also cleared up how the company’s name is supposed to be pronounced.
He said he calls it ‘Tess-la’, rather than ‘Tez-la’ like a lot of folks do.
However, he did note that he wasn’t entirely sure how it was supposed to be said.
“I guess I don’t know how he [Nikola Tesla] pronounced his own name,” he added.
He had some harsh words for the Cybertruck
The Tesla founder also shared his thoughts on the direction the company is going and didn’t hold back when it came to sharing his opinion on the Cybertruck.
The EV truck has been divisive since it was first launched, and it seems Martin Eberhard has some pretty strong feelings about it.
“I am actually disappointed that Tesla canceled its low-end car program because that’s what the world needs – not a truck that looks like a dumpster,” he said.
Ouch.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
