Tesla uses the stock ticker TSLA and became a major electric-vehicle market-cap leader.
Tesla began trading on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the symbol TSLA in 2010. Its market value grew rapidly as investors focused on battery-powered vehicles, software, charging infrastructure, and the possibility of expanding electric-vehicle adoption.
The company was founded in 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, while Elon Musk joined soon afterward as a major early investor and became its chief executive. Tesla’s first production vehicle was the Roadster, launched in 2008, followed by the Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y.
Tesla is not the same company as China’s BYD, another major electric-vehicle manufacturer. Toyota and Volkswagen have much larger histories in conventional automobiles, although both have also invested heavily in electrification.