Tesla was founded in 2003 and named after inventor Nikola Tesla.
The company was incorporated in July 2003 as Tesla Motors by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. Elon Musk joined as an early major investor and became chairman, while the company later developed its best-known products under the Tesla name. The company was renamed Tesla, Inc. in 2017.
Tesla’s first production vehicle was the Roadster, introduced in the late 2000s and based on a modified Lotus Elise platform. It was followed by the Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y. The Model 3 and Model Y helped move the company toward higher-volume production.
Tesla’s market value has often moved sharply because investors price expectations about electric vehicles, batteries, charging networks, software, and autonomous driving. Market capitalization reflects the value of its shares, not the number of vehicles it sells in a particular year.