Is Tesla Out of Control? Tesla started in 2003 and specializes in electric cars, battery energy storage, and solar panels. The company had more than 37,000 employees and revenues of over $11 billion in 2017." Tesla revolutionized the electric car industry when it introduced the fully electric, plug-in Model S sports sedan in 2013. The Model S was named "Car of the Century by Car and Driver magazine in 2015.13 Tesla's Model S started at well over $70,000, with some models costing more than $100,000.174 Tesla added a more affordable Model 3 at around $35,000 to its lineup in 2017.1/5 Tesla's finances struggled since introducing the Model 3. The company's net losses grew from $773 million in 2016 to $2.24 billion in 2017.1/6 Moody's downgraded the company's credit rating based on fears that it could run out of money by the end of 2018." What happened?