After the 2008 crisis, Tesla unveiled the electric sedan Model S in March 2009 and is reported to have begun deliveries in June 2012. SpaceX, meanwhile, launched Falcon 9 for the first time in June 2010 and delivered the Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station in May 2012, the first arrival by a commercial spacecraft.
Both companies got through the cliff edge of 2008, somehow.
So what happened from there? The next few years were "a time of counterattack after crossing the crisis." On the electric-car side, a car that would later change the world was unveiled, and on the rocket side, a commercial spacecraft reached the space station for the first time.
This article follows 2009 to 2012.
March 2009: Model S
On March 26, 2009, Tesla unveiled a new electric sedan, the "Model S," in Hawthorne, California (Tesla's official announcement).
The announcement said the following.
- It was being developed as a high-performance electric car with a range of more than 300 miles (about 480 km).
- Orders open from that day.
At that point, the only car Tesla sold was the sports car "Roadster." The Roadster was built in small numbers. The Model S was a car meant to reach many more people: a car aimed at mass production.
There is a big wall here. Showing an attractive car and building it in volume and delivering it to customers are entirely different jobs. We will look at the height of that wall again in a later article (Model 3's "production hell").
May 2009: investment from a major automaker
About two months after the announcement, on May 19, 2009, it was reported that Germany's Daimler had acquired about 10% of Tesla's shares.
Less than a year after the funding crisis of 2008, an investment from a major automaker is thought to have been a big support for Tesla's credibility. It is also said to have been a turning point that eased, in part, a shortage of funds so severe that even paying salaries was in doubt at the time.
2010: a factory, a partnership and an IPO
2010 was a busy year for Tesla.
- May 20: it is reported to have announced a partnership with Japan's Toyota. Toyota would invest $50 million in Tesla, and Tesla would acquire the former Toyota–GM joint factory (NUMMI) in Fremont, California (a report from an automotive information site; not yet confirmed in an official announcement).
- June 29: Tesla is reported to have gone public and raised about $226 million.
Getting a factory and raising funds. The preparations for "building cars in volume" were falling into place.
June 4, 2010: Falcon 9's first launch
In the same year, 2010, there was also a major turning point on the rocket side.
On June 4, SpaceX's new rocket "Falcon 9" is reported to have been launched for the first time from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and reached orbit.
As seen in the previous article, the small Falcon 1 failed three times and succeeded only on the fourth. Falcon 9, by contrast, reached orbit on its very first launch. The rocket was also far larger.
Recalling that Falcon 1's three failures had different causes, one is tempted to interpret this first-launch success as "what was learned from the failures was put to use in the next rocket." But whether that was actually the case inside SpaceX has not been confirmed.
May 2012: Dragon, to the space station
And then, 2012.
On May 22, Falcon 9 launched SpaceX's spacecraft "Dragon." It was a demonstration launch for NASA's COTS program, which had commercial companies demonstrate transport to the space station (according to the press release).
On May 25, Dragon arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) and was grabbed by the robotic arm and berthed. It was the moment when, for the first time as a commercial company's spacecraft, it connected to the ISS (a report reprinting a NASA article).
It can be called the real start of the contract NASA announced at the end of 2008 for cargo delivery to the ISS (a total contract value of about $1.6 billion). In about three and a half years, a company with "three rocket failures" became a company that "carries cargo to NASA's space station."
June 2012: Model S deliveries
And in June 2012, Tesla is reported to have begun delivering the Model S to customers (the start date is said to be June 22, but the source is weak and needs confirmation).
More than three years after the announcement (March 2009). Here, a mass-produced electric sedan begins to run on real roads as a real car.
What waits next
Both companies look to be going well so far. But the two companies' real challenges become even harder from here.
- Rockets: making a launched rocket usable again.
- Electric cars: building a car far cheaper than the Model S, in enormous numbers.
Both were challenges that took on "common sense" head-on.
FAQ
When was the Model S announced, and when did it go on sale?
It was unveiled on March 26, 2009, and orders began (Tesla's official announcement). Deliveries are reported to have begun around June 2012, but the date's source is weak and needs confirmation.
Is the Toyota–Tesla partnership real?
It is reported to have been announced in May 2010. But the source used in this article is a report from an automotive information site, and we have not yet confirmed it in the original official announcement.
Did Dragon carry people?
The 2012 flight covered in this article demonstrated approach and berthing at the International Space Station, and no people were aboard (a demonstration of cargo transport). Crewed flight is not covered in this article.
Summary
- March 26, 2009: Tesla unveiled the Model S and opened orders (official announcement).
- May 19, 2009: Daimler is reported to have acquired about 10% of Tesla's shares.
- May 2010: the Toyota partnership and the NUMMI factory acquisition are reported (not confirmed in an official announcement). June 29: IPO (about $226 million, press report).
- June 4, 2010: Falcon 9 is reported to have reached orbit on its first launch.
- May 22–25, 2012: Dragon arrived at the ISS, the first commercial company's spacecraft to do so.
- June 2012: Model S deliveries are reported to have begun (date unconfirmed).
Next: The two companies, having crossed the crisis and begun to move, next took on "not throwing rockets away."
Sources (checked 2026-10-11)
- Tesla Motors press release, "Tesla unveils world's first mass-produced highway-capable EV" (March 26, 2009): https://ir.tesla.com/press-release/tesla-unveils-worlds-first-mass-produced-highway-capable-ev
- SFGate, "Daimler buys stake in Tesla" (May 19, 2009): https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Daimler-buys-stake-in-Tesla-3230703.php
- Winding Road, "Tesla, Toyota join forces for EV tech; Tesla purchases NUMMI plant" (May 2010): https://windingroad.com/articles/news/tesla-toyota-join-forces-for-ev-tech-tesla-purchases-nummi-plant/ (an automotive information site; not confirmed in an official announcement)
- The Register, "SpaceX Falcon 9 achieves orbit on maiden flight" (June 5, 2010): https://www.theregister.com/offbeat/2010/06/05/spacex-falcon-9-achieves-orbit-on-maiden-flight/1010812
- The National, "Tesla's IPO brings in $226m for growth" (June 2010): https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/tesla-s-ipo-brings-in-226m-for-growth-1.528992
- PR Newswire, "SpaceX launches NASA demonstration mission to space station" (May 22, 2012): https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/spacex-launches-nasa-demonstration-mission-to-space-station-152476165.html
- ScienceDaily (reprint of a NASA article), "SpaceX Dragon berthed to the space station" (May 25, 2012): https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120525134210.htm
- Report on the start of Model S deliveries (June 2012): https://www.eco-business.com/press-releases/tesla-model-s-demand-sees-company-work-towards-production-of-5000-electric-cars-by-2012-end/ (weak source; confirmation needed)
This article is for learning about science, technology and corporate history, and is not investment advice. Facts and the author's interpretation are kept separate. Figures are AI-generated illustrations.