Elon Musk's Tesla logo has 'hidden symbol' - and people are only just realising
Tesla's logo is the letter T, which is widely believed to be stylised to represent a part of the electric motor - but some people have different ideas about what it looks like
Elon Musk's car brand Tesla is a household name - yet mystery shrouds the meaning behind the brand's emblem.
The letter T clearly is a nod to the name but it also said to represent the cross-section of an electric motor. The badge showcases an avant-garde, stylised iteration of the letter T, which aims to mirror the cross-section of an electric motor.
But many users were unaware of this, and shared their interest on Reddit and other social media platforms today. Curiosity bubbled on Reddit when a user queried: "Other than the obvious 'T', what does the Tesla logo represent? I've heard it resembles a particular part of the engine?".
The post sparked a flurry of speculation, with Redditors proposing various interpretations. Yet amidst the conjecture, there's a definitive explanation that eluded many initially.
As reported by the Mirror US, one commenter speculated: "The most plausible theory that I read was that it's part of a cross section of an induction motor." Another whimsically suggested: "It resembles a cat nose."
Another individual shared their recent quest for answers, stating: "I was trying to look this up yesterday but I never thought to ask here. I could not find much."
A fourth individual also observed: "It's fascinating to me how many plausible answers there are here. Whether it looks like a piece from an induction motor, or a power line, or a battery in an electrical schematic, or evokes the Model T, or is like Serbian axes, or even bears resemblance to Mr Tesla's face, it's clear that the logo is a great piece of design - regardless of whether it was intentional or not."
The American company, specialising in electric vehicles and clean energy, was originally founded as Tesla Motors in 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, honouring the famed inventor Nikola Tesla.
Come February 2004, Musk spearheaded the initial round of investment and took the helm as chairman, later ascending to CEO in 2008. Despite its prominence, there remains some mystery around the meaning behind the brand's emblem.
AutoPi reports state that it was RO Studio who came up with the Tesla insignia. Originally conceived to nestle within a shield icon, they eventually opted to scrap the shield concept in favour of the now iconic standalone "T."
Although it might appear to simply be a "T", the symbol actually nods to the heart of the brand's offerings, or so Tesla's chief Mr Musk pointed out in a past tweet. The design aims to mirror the cross-section of an electric motor.
AutoPi explains: "The main body of the 'T' represents one of the poles that protrude from the rotor of a motor, while the second line on top represents a piece of the stator. It creates a decent approximation of an electric-motor cross-section by repeating the Tesla logo in a circle, with the top of each 'T' facing outward."
Mr Musk isn't just any big cheese at Tesla—he's a founding member, the head honcho, and the top shareholder. As of February 2025, it's forecasted that he'll own a substantial 12.8% slice of Tesla.
Despite Musk holding the lion's share, the electric vehicle giant is also backed by various other investors, which includes big-name institutional heavyweights like Vanguard and BlackRock.
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