Tesla begins selling in China, despite lack of formal company name

Fri, 20 Dec 2013

Car buyers in China can now start shopping for a new Tesla Model S. Only problem is, the California-based automaker doesn't seem to have hammered down a brand name for that market. According to Reuters, Tesla is still dealing with a trademark squatter for "Tesla" (or "Te Si La"), so in the meantime, it is a brand without a name.

Tesla has launched a website in China under the Tousule name, but it doesn't appear that will be the official nomenclature for cars sold in China. According to the report, a Tesla salesman in Beijing doesn't know when – or even if – Tesla plans to come up with a Chinese name for its brand. We reached out to Tesla for a comment on the matter, but we've yet to receive any response regarding this ongoing situation in China.

By Jeffrey N. Ross