Who made the Tesla logo
Creative Bloq's history of the Tesla logo says the original Tesla Motors badge was designed by RO Studio, a New Jersey agency that also designed the SpaceX logo. It describes the wordmark as a custom typeface, which it calls Tesla Slab, paired with the pointed T symbol. In 2017 the company dropped 'Motors' from its name, removed the shield and placed the name below the T. The wordmark letters stayed the same.
Evidence for this attribution ↓No paid font selected
Free alternatives
Compare the actual letterforms with the same text. These are editorial alternatives, not fonts attributed to Tesla.
Free alternative
Orbitron
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Regular · Latin specimen
Wide, squared capitals with a futuristic feel that matches the mood of the TESLA wordmark. The shapes differ, and Orbitron is boxier, so treat it as a mood match.
View fontFree alternative
Questrial
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Regular · Latin specimen
A light, clean geometric sans for simple headings in a minimal Tesla-like layout. It comes in one weight only, so it cannot cover bold UI labels.
View fontWhere Gotham comes in
Gotham is documented in Tesla's car software, not in the logo. Fonts In Use editor Stephen Coles wrote in 2013 that the Model S 17-inch touchscreen uses Gotham, and praised it as clear and legible. We also checked a stylesheet still served on Tesla's China website, tesla.cn, which declares Gotham Light, Book, Medium and Bold. We could not load Tesla's current US site, so we cannot say which fonts it uses today.
Evidence for this attribution ↓About Gotham
Gotham was designed by Tobias Frere-Jones in 2000, with Jesse Ragan joining from 2001, after a commission from GQ magazine. It was inspired by the plain sans-serif capitals on New York buildings such as the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Fonts In Use says it was released in 2002 by the foundry now known as Hoefler&Co., which Monotype acquired in 2021.
Evidence for this attribution ↓How to get the look
For a Tesla-style interface, use Montserrat, a free geometric sans with a feel similar to Gotham, in light and medium weights with plenty of space. For the wordmark mood, use a wide, futuristic face such as Orbitron in capitals with open letter spacing. Neither will match the custom TESLA letters exactly, and the T symbol is Tesla's trademark.
Common questions
What font is the Tesla logo?
None you can buy. Creative Bloq says RO Studio designed the logo with custom lettering. Fan-made replicas exist, but Tesla has not released the wordmark as a font.
Does Tesla use Gotham?
Gotham is documented in the Model S touchscreen around 2012 to 2013, and a stylesheet on Tesla's China website still declares it. We could not confirm which fonts Tesla's main website or newest cars use today.
Is the Tesla font free?
No. The wordmark is not available at all, and Gotham needs a paid licence from Hoefler&Co. Montserrat is a free alternative with a similar geometric look.
Sources & evidence
Editorial review completed November 10, 2026.
- Creative Bloq — The Tesla logo history (Joe Foley, 2025)
Design publication
- Fonts In Use — 2013 Tesla Model S dashboard display
Typography archive
- Tesla China — site stylesheet (declares Gotham)
Official site
- Fonts In Use — Gotham
Typography archive