A relative newcomer to the automotive sector, Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA), headquartered in California, is an auto manufacturer and energy storage company quickly becoming known for its electric car design. It also markets automotive and home battery products. Tesla is a publicly traded company. Tesla obtained a lot of attention and free publicity when it produced the first electric sports car, the Roadster. Its next product was the Model S, an electric luxury car.

The Roadster was the first electric car to implement the use of lithium-ion batteries, as well as the first electric model to have a cruising range of over 200 miles. The limited cruising range before recharging has been one of the major criticisms of electric cars, as most gasoline-powered vehicles have a cruising range of 350 to 450 miles.

Concerned about competitors either obtaining inside information or buying out necessary parts, Tesla is rather secretive about the more than two dozen parts suppliers for the Model S, but the majority of them have been uncovered by diligent researchers. Tesla manufactures the basic electric components of the car – the electric motor, the battery pack and the charger – but other parts come from suppliers spread across the U.S., Europe and Asia.

Below is a list of some of the key suppliers for Tesla's manufacturing production, along with the components they supply:

  • AGC Automotive: windshields
  • Brembo: brakes
  • Fisher Dynamics: power seats
  • Inteva Products: instrument panel
  • Modine Manufacturing Co.: battery chiller
  • Sika: acoustic dampers
  • Stabilus: liftgate gas spring
  • ZF Lenksysteme: power steering mechanism

Other suppliers include ADAC, ABC Group, Angell-Demmel, Argent, Gentex, Harada, Hitachi Cable America, Hope Global, MacLean-Fogg, Magna International, Methode Electronics, Multimatic, Panasonic, Plastomer, PSM International, Riviera, T1 Automotive and Zanini Auto Group.