Tesla is the world’s largest publicly traded electric-vehicle maker by market capitalization.
Tesla’s market value has often exceeded that of traditional automakers, even though its vehicle production has been lower than the output of companies such as Toyota or Volkswagen. Investors have valued Tesla not only as a car manufacturer but also for its battery technology, charging network, software, and potential autonomous-driving business.
Tesla was founded in 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning; Elon Musk joined as an early major investor and became its best-known leader. The company’s Roadster, Model S, Model 3, and Model Y helped popularize battery-electric vehicles in different market segments.
Market capitalization is a stock-market measure rather than a production ranking. BYD has been a major electric-vehicle competitor, while Toyota and Volkswagen remain much larger in total vehicle manufacturing.