Tesla Motors was founded in 2003 by engineers Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. The company was named after Nikola Tesla, the famous inventor, as a tribute to his contributions to electricity and innovation.

Still, that relief in the United States, where Musk has become one of President Trump's primary advisers, tasked with swiftly cutting federal spending, may not improve the brand's reputation worldwide.

Tesla stock rose as much as 7% Thursday morning in an otherwise difficult days for traditional automakers, following President Donald Trump's newly announced auto tariffs. Meanwhile, General Motors was the biggest decliner in the S&P 500,