Automakers seldom change names. When they do, it’s usually as a result of merging with (or separating from) another automaker.
But this latest name-change has no apparent reason other than to more accurately convey the focus of its business.
That automaker is Tesla, which has until now been officially known as Tesla Motors. According to Automotive News, however, the company has filed with the US Securities and Exchanges Commission to re-register as Tesla Inc.
The name change comes as Elon Musk’s operation broadens its scope from developing, manufacturing, and selling electric vehicles to supplying a wider range of electric products – including residential and commercial battery packs and solar panels.
The latter comes primarily as a result of Tesla’s takeover of SolarCity Corp in a deal that is far more clearly an acquisition than a merger. Contrast that with the endless name changes at companies revolving around Chrysler – divorcing from Daimler, merging with Fiat, spinning off Ferrari… each step resulting in a new name for one unit or another. (Don’t even get us started on the separation and reintegration of group brands like Ram and SRT.)
All the while General Motors remains General Motors (despite its resurfacing from bankruptcy), and the Ford Motor Company remains the Ford Motor Company (with or without its failed Premier Automotive Group). Peugeot SA recently changed its name, however, to Groupe PSA, and Fuji Heavy Industries dropped the pretense of being focused on anything other than Subaru.
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