Tesla became one of the world's most valuable companies by market capitalization under Elon Musk’s leadership.
Tesla was incorporated in 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. Elon Musk joined as an early major investor and became chairman; he later became chief executive officer. The company’s first production vehicle was the Roadster, introduced in 2008 and based on the Lotus Elise platform.
Tesla’s Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Y expanded its range beyond the original sports car. Large-scale production of the Model 3 and Model Y helped Tesla become a major electric-vehicle manufacturer and gave it a valuation far exceeding many established automakers for periods of time.
Tesla is sometimes confused with BYD when electric-vehicle sales are compared. BYD is a separate Chinese company that also makes batteries and vehicles. Rankings by market capitalization and rankings by vehicle deliveries measure different things and can produce different leaders.