STOCKHOLM, JUNE 3, 2009 - In tough competition with five prominent nominees, Tesla Motors won the Globe Sustainability Innovation Award 2009. The award was presented to Tesla Motor's Vice President Michael van der Sande by H.R.H Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, at a ceremony in the Winter Garden of Grand Hotel in Stockholm on June 3rd.

The goal of the Globe Sustainability Innovation Award, this year presented for the third time, is to discover and encourage prominent sustainable innovators. The jury group for the Sustainability Innovation Award was chaired by Philip A. DesAutels, Microsoft's manager of Academic Evangelism and a researcher at Bentley University, USA. Jury members were Dr. Pierre Berthon, holds the Clifford F Youse Chair of Marketing and Strategy at Bentley University, USA; Charlotte Masiello-Riome, Communication Expert Consultant for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN; Leyland Pitt, Professor of Marketing, Segal Graduate School of Business, Simon Fraser University; Rias van Wyk, Professor and Director of Technoscan® Centre Minnesota, USA, and former Director of the Management of Technology (MOT) program, University of Minnesota.

The Jury's motivation:

"Tesla stood out among the many worthy applicants to the Globe Award for Sustainable Innovation both for its level of impact and for its approach.The Tesla Model S Sedan will be the world's first highway-capable, mass-produced electric vehicle produced in what is planned to be the world's greenest factory. The impact of Tesla's effort reaches well beyond this one car - it sets the stage for a revolution in transportation that could quite literally reduce global petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by more than one third each." 

"Globe Forum, as the leading platform for innovation and sustainability, is the perfect marketplace for Tesla to launch the Roadster for the Scandinavian market. We find it highly important to engage in the critical discussions concerning climate change and sustainable development which is addressed at Globe Forum and we are happy to share our perspective on innovation and sustainability", says Rachel Konrad, Senior Communications Manager, Tesla Motors, Inc. 

"In its evaluation of the applicants for the Globe Award for Sustainable Innovation, the jury found that Tesla's application stood out. A genuine innovation, the Model S Sedan represents a key component in Tesla's effort to mainstream sustainability. Leveraging top of the pyramid consumers to fund the development of what is rapidly becoming mass-market technology, Tesla has been able to develop and economically viable solution with global ecological impact that should result in a fundamental and perpetual shift in the impact of transportation to humanity", says Philip DesAutels, Chairman Globe Sustainability Innovation Award, and continues...

"The potential for impact is real at a global scale: First, this product establishes a platform for a massive reduction in greenhouse gasses and carbon emissions, paving the way for significant health improvements as a result. Second, by mainstreaming electric vehicle technology, Tesla has taken the lead in innovating in an industry that has been technologically dependent on 100-year-old internal combustion technology", says Philip DesAutels.

Globe Award's mission is to highlight and reward good cases and initiatives in sustainability innovation. A total of four jury groups, each with highly experienced and internationally recognized experts, has ensured that the most innovative and visionary innovators, scientists, cities and companies are highlighted. The Globe Award jury is chaired by Lars-Olle Larsson, Partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers Sweden.

For more information please contact:

Lars-Olle Larsson, Chairman of the Globe Award jury, Partner PricewaterhouseCoopers Sweden. Mobile: +46-709 29 39 83, e-mail: lars-olle.larsson@se.pwc.com

Martina Nee, Manager Globe Award, Globe Forum, Stockholm, Sweden, Mobile: +46-73 317 53 55, e-mail: martina.nee@globeforum.com 

Rachel Konrad, Senior Communications Manager, Tesla Motors, Inc. CA, USA, Cell: 415-335-8932, Office: 650-701-2664e-mail: rachel@teslamotors.com 


About Tesla Motors 
Tesla Motors Inc. designs, manufactures and sells 100% electric cars and advanced electric vehicle components. The Tesla Roadster is the first vehicle to integrate zero petroleum consumption, high energy efficiency, and great driving performance. Tesla is changing the metaphor of the automobile industry by mass-producing sustainable zero-emission vehicles. Based in California, USA. www.teslamotors.com 

About Globe Award
Globe Award was founded in 2007 in Sweden by the international business network and marketplace Globe Forum with the aim to support and encourage successful and innovative sustainability work. Globe Award 2009 is acknowledging prominent researchers, innovators, cities and companies - from all parts of the world - within four categories Sustainability Research Award, Sustainability Innovation Award, Sustainable City Award and the Sustainability Reporting Award. www.globeaward.com