Tesla was incorporated in 2003 and later led by Elon Musk as CEO.
Tesla was incorporated in July 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. Elon Musk joined as an early major investor and became chairman; he later became chief executive in 2008. The company’s first production vehicle was the Roadster, introduced in 2008.
Tesla helped make battery-electric vehicles more prominent in the global automobile market. It later expanded its lineup with the Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y, while also developing energy-storage products and charging infrastructure.
Tesla’s market capitalization has often moved sharply because investors value both current vehicle sales and expectations about future growth. A company’s market value can therefore be much higher or lower than the accounting value of its factories, vehicles, and other physical assets.