Registration No. 333-            

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Under

The Securities Act of 1933

TESLA MOTORS, INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	91-2197729
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)

3500 Deer Creek Road

Palo Alto, California 94304

(650) 681-5000

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of Registrant’s principal executive offices)

Elon Musk

Chief Executive Officer

Tesla Motors, Inc.

3500 Deer Creek Road

Palo Alto, California 94304

(650) 681-5000

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copies to:

Larry W. Sonsini Mark B. Baudler Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C. 650 Page Mill Road Palo Alto, California 94304 (650) 493-9300 Philip L. Rothenberg Jonathan A. Chang Tesla Motors, Inc. 3500 Deer Creek Road Palo Alto, California 94304 (650) 681-5000 Kevin P. Kennedy Roxane F. Reardon Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP 2475 Hanover Street Palo Alto, California 94304 (650) 251-5000

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box.  ¨

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box.  x

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ¨

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ¨

If the Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  x

If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Large accelerated filer	x	Accelerated filer	¨
Non-accelerated filer	¨  (Do not  check if a smaller reporting company)	Smaller reporting company	¨

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered	Amount to be Registered(1)(2)	Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price Per Unit(1)(2)	Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price(1)(2)	Amount of Registration Fee(3)
Common Stock, $0.001 par value (4)	—	—	—	—
Debt Securities	—	—	—	—
Total(5)	—	—	—	—

(1) An indeterminate number of or aggregate principal amount of the securities of each identified class is being registered as may at various times be issued at indeterminate prices.

(2) Not applicable pursuant to General Instruction II.D. of Form S-3 under the Securities Act of 1933.

(3) In accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act, the registrant is deferring payment of all of the registration fee. Any registration fees will be paid subsequently on a pay-as-you-go basis in accordance with Rule 457(r).

(4) In addition to any securities that may be registered hereunder, we are also registering an indeterminate number of shares of common stock as may be issued upon conversion or exercise of the securities issued directly hereunder. No separate consideration will be received for any shares of common stock so issued upon conversion or exercise.

(5) The securities registered hereunder may be sold separately, or in a combination with other securities registered hereby.

PROSPECTUS

Tesla Motors, Inc.

Common Stock

Debt Securities

By this prospectus, we may offer and sell from time to time, in one or more offerings, common stock, debt securities or any combination thereof as described in this prospectus. The debt securities may be convertible into our common stock. You should read this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and free writing prospectus, together with any documents we incorporate by reference, before you invest in our securities. The prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus may also add to, update, supplement or clarify information contained in this prospectus. This prospectus may not be used to sell our securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.

Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “TSLA.”

We may offer and sell our securities to or through one or more agents, underwriters, dealers or other third parties or directly to one or more purchasers on a continuous or delayed basis. If we use any agents, underwriters or dealers to sell our securities, we will name them and describe their compensation in a prospectus supplement. The price to the public of our securities and the net proceeds we expect to receive from the sale of such securities will also be set forth in a prospectus supplement.

Investing in our securities involves risks. You should carefully consider the risks described under “Risk Factors” on page 6 of this prospectus, as well as in the applicable prospectus supplement, any related free writing prospectus and other information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, before making a decision to invest in our securities.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The date of this prospectus is May 15, 2013.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Summary	1
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges	3
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements	4
Where You Can Find More Information	5
Risk Factors	6
Use of Proceeds	7
Description of the Securities	8
Plan of Distribution	9
Legal Matters	11
Experts	11
Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference	12

We are responsible for the information contained and incorporated by reference in this prospectus, in any accompanying prospectus supplement, and in any related free writing prospectus we prepare or authorize. We have not authorized anyone to give you any other information, and we take no responsibility for any other information that others may give you. If you are in a jurisdiction where offers to sell, or solicitations of offers to purchase, the securities offered by this document are unlawful, or if you are a person to whom it is unlawful to direct these types of activities, then the offer presented in this document does not extend to you. The information contained in this document speaks only as of the date of this document, unless the information specifically indicates that another date applies. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.

Unless we have indicated otherwise, references in this prospectus to “Tesla,” “we,” “us,” “our” and similar terms refer to Tesla Motors, Inc. and its subsidiaries.

i

SUMMARY

About This Prospectus

This prospectus is part of an automatic shelf registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, as a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act. We may offer the securities described in this prospectus from time to time in one or more offerings. This prospectus only provides you with a general description of the securities to be offered. Each time we sell securities pursuant to this prospectus, we will describe in a prospectus supplement, which will be delivered with this prospectus, specific information about the offering. The applicable prospectus supplement may also add, update or change the information contained in this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in the applicable prospectus supplement. Before making an investment in our securities, you should carefully read both this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and any applicable free writing prospectus, together with the information incorporated and deemed to be incorporated by reference herein as described under “Information Incorporated by Reference” and the additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.” This prospectus may not be used to sell our common stock or debt securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.

The registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, including the exhibits to the registration statement, provides additional information about us and the securities. Wherever references are made in this prospectus to information that will be included in a prospectus supplement, to the extent permitted by applicable law, rules or regulations, we may instead include such information or add, update or change the information contained in this prospectus by means of a post-effective amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, through filings we make with the SEC that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus or by any other method as may then be permitted under applicable law, rules or regulations. The registration statement, including the exhibits to the registration statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, can be obtained from the SEC, as described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”

TESLA MOTORS, INC.

Overview

We design, develop, manufacture and sell high-performance fully electric vehicles and advanced electric vehicle powertrain components. We own our sales and service network and have operationally structured our business in a manner that we believe will enable us to rapidly develop and launch advanced electric vehicles and technologies. We believe our vehicles, electric vehicle engineering expertise, and operational structure differentiates us from incumbent automobile manufacturers.

We are the first company to commercially produce a federally-compliant electric vehicle, the Tesla Roadster, which achieves a market-leading range on a single charge combined with attractive design, driving performance and zero tailpipe emissions. As of March 31, 2013, we had delivered approximately 2,450 Tesla Roadsters to customers in over 30 countries. While we have concluded the production run of the Tesla Roadster, its proprietary electric vehicle powertrain system is the foundation of our business. We modified this system for our Model S sedan and plan to continue to enhance it for use in our future electric vehicles, including our Model X crossover.

1

We began shipments of our second vehicle, the Model S sedan, in June 2012, and achieved our steady-state production run rate of 20,000 vehicles per year in December 2012. In the quarter ended March 31, 2013, we delivered approximately 4,900 Model S vehicles to customers. Model S is a four door, five-passenger premium sedan that offers exceptional performance, functionality and attractive styling. Model S has won several awards, including the prestigious Motor Trend Car of the Year for 2013. In addition, Consumer Reports recently gave the Model S a score of 99 out of 100 and commented that the Model S performs better than any car that they have ever tested before. As of March 31, 2013, we had delivered over 7,500 Model S vehicles to customers in North America, and we plan to start deliveries of the Model S into select European countries this summer and Asian deliveries later in 2013.

We are adapting the platform architecture of the Model S to develop our Model X crossover, a prototype of which we revealed in February 2012. This unique vehicle has been designed to fill the niche between the roominess of a minivan and the style of an SUV, while having high performance features such as a dual motor all-wheel drive system.

In addition to developing our own vehicles, we provide services for the development of full electric powertrain systems and components, and sell electric powertrain components to other automotive manufacturers. We have provided development services and powertrain components to Daimler AG (Daimler) for its Smart fortwo and Mercedes-Benz A-Class and B-Class electric vehicles. We also have developed a full electric powertrain system for Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) for use in its RAV4 EV and began shipping production components to Toyota in 2012.

We were incorporated in 2003 in Delaware. As of March 31, 2013, we had 3,179 full-time employees worldwide. We are headquartered in Palo Alto, California. Our principal executive offices are located at 3500 Deer Creek Road, Palo Alto, California 94304, and our telephone number at this location is (650) 681-5000. We completed our initial public offering in July 2010 and our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “TSLA.” Our website address is www.teslamotors.com. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus and you should not consider information on our website to be part of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus.

The “Tesla” design logo, “Tesla,” “Tesla Motors,” “Tesla Roadster,” “Model S,” “Model X” and other trademarks or service marks of Tesla appearing in this prospectus are the property of Tesla.

2

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

The ratio of earnings to fixed charges for each of the periods indicated is as follows.

Fiscal Year Ended

Three Months Ended

December 31, 2008

December 31, 2009

December 31, 2010

December 31, 2011

December 31, 2012

March 31, 2013

Ratio of earnings to fixed charges(1)

—

—

—

—

—

3.7x

(1) For the purpose of calculating such ratios, “earnings” consist of income from continuing operations before income taxes plus fixed charges and “fixed charges” consist of interest expense (net of capitalized portion), capitalized interest, amortization of debt discount and the portion of rental expense representative of interest expense. Earnings were inadequate to cover the fixed charges by $82.7 million, $55.7 million, $155.0 million, $259.0 million and $403.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, respectively.

3

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus and any prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus, may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act). All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, including statements relating to European and Asian launch expectations of Model S; schedule for the introduction of future options and variants, production, delivery and volume expectations of Model S; vehicle demand, revenue, volume, gross margin, and spending targets; the schedule, development, and features of, and our ability to leverage the Model S platform for, Model X; our ability to execute multiple product development programs simultaneously; the expected benefits from working on the development programs with Daimler and Toyota; our ability to repay our loan facility with the Federal Financing Bank (FFB) and the United States Department of Energy (DOE), which we refer to as the DOE Loan Facility, including prior to the vesting of the related DOE warrants; and future store, service center and Tesla Supercharger opening and expansion plans are “forward-looking statements” that are subject to risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations, and as a result of certain risks and uncertainties actual results may differ materially from those projected. The following important factors, without limitation, could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements: delays in maintaining current and future levels of production of Model S, including the ability of suppliers to supply parts at desired quality and quantity levels; our ability to achieve planned cost reductions and manufacturing and logistics efficiencies; our ability to design and achieve market acceptance of new vehicle models, specifically Model S and Model X; consumers’ willingness to adopt electric vehicles; our ability to manage our business consistent with the requirements of our DOE Loan Facility; risks associated with the ability to achieve the expected financial results from the development and production of powertrain systems for the Toyota RAV4 EV and vehicles for Daimler, including the completion of negotiations for an agreement for the supply of production powertrains for the Mercedes-Benz B-Class EV; competition in the automotive market generally and the alternative fuel vehicle market in particular; our ability to establish, maintain and strengthen our brand; the unavailability, reduction or elimination of governmental and economic incentives for electric vehicles; our ability to establish, maintain and strengthen our relationships with strategic partners such as Daimler, Toyota and Panasonic; customers’ uptake of vehicles under our unique financing program and our ability to execute and manage such program effectively; and our ability to execute on our plans for our interactive retail strategy and for new store, service center and Tesla Supercharger openings. We disclaim any obligation to update information contained in these forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, or future events, except as required by law.

More information on potential factors that could affect our financial results is included from time to time in our SEC filings and reports, including the risks identified under the section captioned “Risk Factors” in our periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q that we file with the SEC. We disclaim any obligation to update information contained in these forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Although we undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law, you are advised to consult any additional disclosures we make in our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC. See “Where You Can Find More Information.”

4

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-3 under the Securities Act with respect to this offering. This prospectus, filed as part of the registration statement, does not contain all the information set forth in the registration statement and its exhibits and schedules, portions of which have been omitted as permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC. For further information about us, we refer you to the registration statement and to its exhibits and schedules.

We file annual, quarterly and current reports and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy any materials we file at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information about the Public Reference Room. The SEC also maintains an internet website at www.sec.gov that contains periodic and current reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding registrants that are filed electronically with the SEC.

These documents are also available, free of charge, through the Investors section of our website, which is located at www.teslamotors.com. The reference to our website address does not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained on our website.

5

RISK FACTORS

You should carefully consider the risks described in Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors, in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2013, together with the other information set forth in this prospectus and in the other documents that we include or incorporate by reference into this prospectus and any prospectus supplement we will provide in connection with our offering of securities described in this prospectus, which could materially affect our business, financial condition and future results. The risks described in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2013 are not the only risks facing our company. Risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results.

6

USE OF PROCEEDS

Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we anticipate that the net proceeds from the sale of the securities that we may offer under this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus will be used for general corporate purposes. We will have significant discretion in the use of any net proceeds. We may invest the net proceeds temporarily until we use them for their stated purpose. If we decide to use the net proceeds from a particular offering of securities for a specific purpose, we will describe that purpose in the applicable prospectus supplement and/or free writing prospectus.

7

DESCRIPTION OF THE SECURITIES

We may issue from time to time, in one or more offerings, the following securities:

Ÿ shares of common stock; and

Ÿ debt securities, which may be senior or subordinated, and which may be convertible into our common stock or be non-convertible.

We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement and/or free writing prospectus a description of the common stock and debt securities that may be offered under this prospectus. The terms of the offering of securities, the initial offering price and the net proceeds to us will be contained in the prospectus supplement, and other offering material, relating to such offer.

8

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We may sell our securities from time to time in one or more transactions. We may sell our securities to or through agents, underwriters, dealers, remarketing firms or other third parties or directly to one or more purchasers or through a combination of any of these methods. We may issue common stock as a dividend or distribution. In some cases, we or dealers acting with us or on behalf of us may also purchase our securities and reoffer them to the public. We may also offer and sell, or agree to deliver, our securities pursuant to, or in connection with, any option agreement or other contractual arrangement.

Agents whom we designate may solicit offers to purchase our securities.

Ÿ We will name any agent involved in offering or selling our securities, and disclose any commissions that we will pay to the agent, in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Ÿ Unless we indicate otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, agents will act on a best efforts basis for the period of their appointment.

Ÿ Agents may be deemed to be underwriters under the Securities Act, of any of our securities that they offer or sell.

We may use an underwriter or underwriters in the offer or sale of our securities.

Ÿ If we use an underwriter or underwriters, we will execute an underwriting agreement with the underwriter or underwriters at the time that we reach an agreement for the sale of our securities.

Ÿ We will include the names of the specific managing underwriter or underwriters, as well as the names of any other underwriters, and the terms of the transactions, including the compensation the underwriters and dealers will receive, in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Ÿ The underwriters will use the applicable prospectus supplement, together with this prospectus, to sell our securities.

We may use a dealer to sell our securities.

Ÿ If we use a dealer, we will sell our securities to the dealer, as principal.

Ÿ The dealer will then sell our securities to the public at varying prices that the dealer will determine at the time it sells our securities.

Ÿ We will include the name of the dealer and the terms of the transactions with the dealer in the applicable prospectus supplement.

We may solicit directly offers to purchase our securities, and we may directly sell our securities to institutional or other investors. We will describe the terms of direct sales in the applicable prospectus supplement.

We may engage in at the market offerings into an existing trading market in accordance with Rule 415(a)(4) of the Securities Act.

We may indemnify agents, underwriters and dealers against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Agents, underwriters and dealers, or their affiliates, may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us or our respective affiliates, in the ordinary course of business.

9

We may authorize agents and underwriters to solicit offers by certain institutions to purchase our securities at the public offering price under delayed delivery contracts.

Ÿ If we use delayed delivery contracts, we will disclose that we are using them in the prospectus supplement and will tell you when we will demand payment and when delivery of our securities will be made under the delayed delivery contracts.

Ÿ These delayed delivery contracts will be subject only to the conditions that we describe in the prospectus supplement.

Ÿ We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the commission that underwriters and agents soliciting purchases of our securities under delayed delivery contracts will be entitled to receive.

Any underwriter, agent or dealer that is a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority member is not permitted to sell our securities in an offering to accounts over which it exercises discretionary authority without the prior specific written approval of its customer.

Unless otherwise specified in connection with a particular underwritten offering of our securities, the underwriters will not be obligated to purchase offered securities unless specified conditions are satisfied, and if the underwriters do purchase any offered securities, they will purchase all offered securities.

In connection with underwritten offerings of the offered securities and in accordance with applicable law and industry practice, the underwriters in certain circumstances are permitted to engage in certain transactions that stabilize the price of our securities. Such transactions consist of bids or purchases for the purpose of pegging, fixing or maintaining the price of our securities. If the underwriters create a short position in our securities in connection with the offering (i.e., if they sell more securities than are set forth on the cover page of the applicable prospectus supplement), the underwriters may reduce that short position by purchasing our securities in the open market or as otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. The underwriters also may impose a penalty bid, whereby selling concessions allowed to dealers participating in the offering may be reclaimed if the securities sold by them are repurchased in connection with stabilization transactions. In general, purchases of a security for the purpose of stabilization or to reduce a short position could cause the price of the security to be higher than it might be in the absence of such purchases. The imposition of a penalty bid might also have an effect on the price of our securities to the extent that it were to discourage resales of our securities. The underwriters are not required to engage in these activities and may end any of these activities at any time.

We may effect sales of securities in connection with forward sale, option or other types of agreements with third parties. Any distribution of securities pursuant to any forward sale agreement may be effected from time to time in one or more transactions that may take place through a stock exchange, including block trades or ordinary broker’s transactions, or through broker-dealers acting either as principal or agent, or through privately-negotiated transactions, or through an underwritten public offering, or through a combination of any such methods of sale, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices relating to such prevailing market prices or at negotiated or fixed prices.

The specific terms of the lock-up provisions, if any, in respect of any given offering will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

10

LEGAL MATTERS

Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the validity of any securities offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, a Professional Corporation, our legal counsel.

EXPERTS

The financial statements and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting (which is included in Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting) incorporated in this prospectus by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

11

INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE

The rules of the SEC allow us to incorporate by reference information into this prospectus. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be a part of this prospectus, and information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede this information. This prospectus incorporates by reference the documents listed below:

Ÿ Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, filed with the SEC on March 7, 2013;

Ÿ The information specifically incorporated by reference into the Annual Report from our definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the SEC on April 17, 2013;

Ÿ Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2013, filed with the SEC on May 10, 2013;

Ÿ Our Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on March 7, 2013 and May 15, 2013; and

Ÿ The description of our common stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A (Commission File No. 001-34756), filed with the SEC on May 27, 2010, including any subsequent amendment or any report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

All reports and other documents subsequently filed by us pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this prospectus and prior to the termination of this offering shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such reports and other documents.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, we are not incorporating by reference any documents, portions of documents, exhibits or other information that is deemed to have been furnished to, rather than filed with, the SEC.

Any statement contained in a document incorporated by reference into this prospectus shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for the purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any subsequently filed document that is also incorporated by reference in this prospectus modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus or any prospectus supplement.

Tesla Motors, Inc. hereby undertakes to provide without charge to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom a copy of this prospectus is delivered, upon written or oral request of any such person, a copy of any or all of the documents that has been or may be incorporated by reference into this prospectus (excluding certain exhibits to the documents) at no cost. Any such request may be made in writing or by telephoning our Investor Relations department at the following address or telephone number:

Tesla Motors, Inc.

3500 Deer Creek Road

Palo Alto, CA 94304

Attention: Investor Relations

Telephone: 650-681-5000

12

PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

The following table sets forth fees and expenses payable by the registrant, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities being registered hereby. Except as to the amount set forth below, the registrant is deferring payment of the registration fee in reliance on Rule 456(b) and Rule 457(r) under the Securities Act of 1933. All amounts set forth below are estimates. All of such expenses are being borne by the registrant.

	Amount to be Paid
SEC registration fee	$	(1	)
Printing fees		(2	)
Legal fees and expenses (including Blue Sky fees)		(2	)
Accounting fees and expenses		(2	)
Trustee’s and transfer agent’s fees and expenses		(2	)
Nasdaq Global Select Market listing fees		(2	)
Miscellaneous		(2	)
Total	$	(2	)

(1) Omitted because the registration fee is being deferred pursuant to Rule 456(b and Rule 457(r) under the Securities Act.

(2) These fees and expenses depend on the securities offered and the number of issuances, and accordingly cannot be estimated at this time.

Item 15. Indemnification of Officers and Directors.

Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law authorizes a corporation’s board of directors to grant, and authorizes a court to award, indemnity to officers, directors and other corporate agents.

As permitted by Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the registrant’s certificate of incorporation includes provisions that eliminate the personal liability of its directors for monetary damages for breach of their fiduciary duty as directors. To the extent Section 102(b)(7) is interpreted, or the Delaware General Corporation Law is amended, to allow similar protections for officers of a corporation, such provisions of the registrant’s certificate of incorporation shall also extend to those persons.

In addition, as permitted by Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the bylaws of the registrant provide that:

Ÿ The registrant shall indemnify its directors and officers for serving the registrant in those capacities or for serving other business enterprises at the registrant’s request, to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. Delaware law provides that a corporation may indemnify such person if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the registrant and, with respect to any criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe such person’s conduct was unlawful.

Ÿ The registrant may, in its discretion, indemnify employees and agents in those circumstances where indemnification is permitted by applicable law.

II-1

Ÿ The registrant is required to advance expenses, as incurred, to its directors and officers in connection with defending a proceeding, except that such director or officer shall undertake to repay such advances if it is ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to indemnification.

Ÿ The registrant will not be obligated pursuant to the bylaws to indemnify a person with respect to proceedings initiated by that person, except with respect to proceedings authorized by the registrant’s board of directors or brought to enforce a right to indemnification.

Ÿ The rights conferred in the bylaws are not exclusive, and the registrant is authorized to enter into indemnification agreements with its directors, officers, employees and agents and to obtain insurance to indemnify such persons.

Ÿ The registrant may not retroactively amend the bylaw provisions to reduce its indemnification obligations to directors, officers, employees and agents.

The registrant’s policy is to enter into separate indemnification agreements with each of its directors and officers that provide the maximum indemnity allowed to directors and executive officers by Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law and also provides for certain additional procedural protections. The registrant’s directors who are affiliated with venture capital firms also have certain rights to indemnification provided by their venture capital funds and the affiliates of those funds (Fund Indemnitors). In the event that any claim is asserted against the Fund Indemnitors that arises solely from the status or conduct of these directors in their capacity as directors of the registrant, the registrant has agreed, subject to stockholder approval, to indemnify the Fund Indemnitors to the extent of any such claims. The registrant also maintains directors and officers insurance to insure such persons against certain liabilities.

These indemnification provisions and the indemnification agreements entered into between the registrant and its officers and directors may be sufficiently broad to permit indemnification of the registrant’s officers and directors for liabilities (including reimbursement of expenses incurred) arising under the Securities Act of 1933.

The underwriting agreement that may be entered into between us and the underwriter may contain certain provisions regarding indemnification of our officers and directors by the underwriter.

Item 16. Exhibits.

The Exhibit Index filed herewith and appearing immediately before the exhibits hereto is incorporated by reference in this Item 16.

Item 17. Undertakings.

(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in the

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volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (i), (ii) and (iii) of this section do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-3 or Form F-3 and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:

(i) Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

(ii) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.

(6) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant

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undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer and sell such securities to such purchaser:

(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

(b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report, pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(h) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Palo Alto, State of California, on May 15, 2013.

Tesla Motors, Inc.
BY:	/s/ Deepak Ahuja
	Deepak Ahuja
	Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer, Principal Accounting Officer and Duly Authorized Officer)

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Elon Musk and Deepak Ahuja and each of them, as his true and lawful attorney in fact and agent with full power of substitution, for him in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this registration statement (including post effective amendments or any abbreviated or subsequent registration statement and any amendments thereto filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) and any supplement to any prospectus included in this registration statement or any such amendment or any abbreviated or subsequent registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b)), and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney in fact, proxy and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully for all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney in fact, proxy and agent, or his substitute, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature	Title	Date
/s/ Elon Musk Elon Musk	Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer)	May 15, 2013
/s/ Deepak Ahuja Deepak Ahuja	Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)	May 15, 2013
/s/ Brad W. Buss Brad W. Buss	Director	May 15, 2013
/s/ Ira Ehrenpreis Ira Ehrenpreis	Director	May 15, 2013
/s/ Antonio J. Gracias Antonio J. Gracias	Director	May 15, 2013

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Signature	Title	Date
/s/    Stephen T. Jurveston Stephen T. Jurveston	Director	May 15, 2013
/s/    Harald Kroeger Harald Kroeger	Director	May 15, 2013
/s/    Kimbal Musk Kimbal Musk	Director	May 15, 2013

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EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit Number	Exhibit Description	Incorporated by Reference
		Form	File No.	Exhibit	Filing Date	Filed Herewith
1.1	Form of Underwriting Agreement*
3.1	Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant	S-1	333-164593	3.1	January 29, 2010
3.2	Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Registrant	S-1	333-164593	3.2	January 29, 2010
4.1	Specimen common stock certificate of the Registrant	S-1/A	333-164593	4.1	May 27, 2010
4.2	Form of Indenture					X
4.3	Form of Debt Security*
5.1	Opinion of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C.					X
12.1	Computation of the Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges					X
23.1	Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm					X
23.2	Consent of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C. (included in Exhibit 5.1)					X
24.1	Power of Attorney (incorporated by reference to the signature page of this Registration Statement)					X
25.1	Form T-1 — Statement of Eligibility for Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939					X

* To be filed by amendment or as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated by reference herein.