Tesla was founded in 2003 and became one of the world’s most valuable automakers by market capitalization.
Tesla helped move battery-electric vehicles from a niche product into the center of the global automobile industry. Its Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Y expanded the company’s reach, while its Supercharger network and battery-storage products supported its wider energy strategy.
Tesla was founded by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, with Elon Musk joining as an early major investor and becoming chairman. Musk later became the company’s chief executive. The company’s stock-market value has often reflected expectations about future vehicle sales, autonomous driving, batteries, and energy products rather than only current automobile revenue.
Tesla is sometimes confused with the Tesla coil inventor Nikola Tesla, after whom the company was named. The automobile company began in California and is now headquartered in Austin, Texas.