Tesla is the electric-car company led by CEO Elon Musk that trades under the ticker TSLA.
Tesla was incorporated in 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, with Elon Musk joining as an early major investor and later becoming chief executive. The company produces electric vehicles, battery-storage systems, and solar-energy products.
Its Roadster, Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y helped make battery-electric cars a mainstream investment theme. Tesla's rapid sales growth and exceptionally high share-price valuation made it one of the world's most valuable automakers by market capitalization.
Tesla's market value has often exceeded that of much older automakers, even when its vehicle production was smaller. Market capitalization reflects investors' expectations about future growth, not simply current production totals or the number of factories a company owns.