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TeslaTesla Inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of battery electric vehicles. Led by CEO Elon Musk, the company holds approximately 15% of the global market share for new BEV sales and almost half of all US BEV sales.
Named in honor of inventor Nikola Tesla, the company was founded in 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, when less than 10,000 EVs were in circulation. Musk became an early investor and chair of the board in 2004 before taking over as CEO in 2008—the same year the Tesla Roadster debuted. It demonstrated the viability of EVs, with a range of more than 200 miles on a single charge, and paved the way for future models, such as the Model 3 and the Cybertruck.
Amid competition in the EV space, Tesla's vertical integration and Supercharger network of charging stations have helped it sustain growth. The company's self-driving software has also made it appealing to consumers, despite safety issues.Explore Tesla
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Tesla short sellers benefited from the company's poor performance in 2025Tesla was widely considered the most-shorted stock until 2024, despite consistent short-seller losses. Between 2016 and 2020, short sellers reportedly lost more than $11B as Tesla's stock price continued climbing. However, long-held short positions began paying out in 2025 as Musk's foray into politics and his eventual feud with President Trump hurt Tesla's stock performance. In 2025, Tesla short sellers made more than $10B. CNBCBYD overcame Tesla via state backing, cheaper cars, and vertical integrationThe one-time battery company eclipsed Tesla in total sales in 2024. The Chinese-backed manufacturer targets low- to mid-tier cars and builds 75% of its components in-house. Its cars typically retail at half the cost of similar Tesla models. Bloomberg OriginalsIn 2018, SpaceX launched a Tesla Roadster into heliocentric orbit for publicityAs of February 2023, the vehicle and its mannequin driver—dubbed "Starman"—have completed three and a quarter revolutions around the sun. One paper estimated that the car has a 22% chance of crashing into Earth within the next 15 million years. CNNMap your next trip along Tesla's Supercharger networkThis community-driven platform—created by Tesla enthusiasts—provides information on site statuses, power levels, and plug types across nearly 8,000 stations worldwide. Supercharge.infoTesla has incorporated several Easter eggs into its electric vehiclesAfter a customer complained that the car's sounds woke up his baby, Tesla implemented "Joe Mode," which quiets sounds, in his honor. Autopilot can be used to engage a depiction of Rainbow Road from Mario Kart on the navigation screen. Capital One Auto NavigatorExplore a timeline of Tesla through 2025Initially called Tesla Motors, the company was renamed Tesla Inc. in February 2017. Its Model Y became the world's bestselling EV worldwide by the end of 2023, overtaking the Model 3's title from 2020. OfficetimelineIn 2019, Tesla's autopilot system misinterpreted emergency lights and crashedA Tesla Model X collided with stopped emergency vehicles on a Texas highway when flashing lights created hazy images that the software could not interpret. The crash injured five people and hospitalized another person while highlighting the challenges of autonomous systems. The Wall Street JournalA quote by scientist Nikola Tesla"The scientific man does not aim at an immediate result ... His duty is to lay the foundation for those who are to come, and point the way." GoodReadsIn 1898, Nikola Tesla wowed a crowd by controlling a boat with no visible connectionSome onlookers thought it was a trick, such a a monkey being inside the boat, rather than mind control or some other metaphysical phenomenon. In reality, Tesla was pioneering radio waves, proving wireless control was possible. 1440Tesla's alternating current power's most of the world's electric gridsIn 1879, Thomas Edison’s light bulb relied on direct current, but such currents can't efficiently transmit power over long distances. Nikola Tesla introduced alternating current, which feature far fewer energy loses. Despite Edison’s attempts to discredit AC, Tesla proved its efficiency by lighting the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. 1440Nikola Tesla's original laboratory was recognized as a historical site in 2018Beginning in 1901, the Wardenclyffe Tower was built on Long Island, New York to transmit electrical power through Earth's atmosphere. The project was abandoned before becoming operational due to limited funding, and was demolished for scrap in 1917 to help pay off Tesla's debts. 1440J.P. Morgan provided Nikola Tesla with funding for the Wardenclyffe TowerThe structure was part of a project to transmit electricity and communication signals wirelessly across the globe. Shortly after construction began, Guglielmo Marconi beat Tesla to the punch and transmitted a trans-Atlantic signal, preventing Tesla from getting additional funding to finish his project. SmithsonianNo proof of Nikola Tesla developing a working 'death ray' existsHe described his "teleforce" weapon as generating beams of concentrated particles that could destroy targets from 250 miles away with unparalleled precision. Analysis of Tesla's papers on the subject by an expert after his death revealed the work to be mostly speculative. Science History InstituteNikola Tesla’s biggest dream was a worldwide network of wireless power transmissionHe built the Wardenclyffe lab and a massive prototype transmission tower to develop trans-Atlantic transmission, but it was never operational. The concept was based on incorrect assumptions about Earth's conductivity, but it inspired subsequent efforts for wireless systems. Verge ScienceWhen Tesla died in 1943, the FBI seized his property for national securityAlthough Nikola Tesla had become increasingly eccentric in his later years, the US government wanted to ensure plans for a possible secret weapon didn’t fall into enemy hands during World War II. History.comTesla's first successful AC prototype used a metal shoe polish tin for a rotorAfter leaving his position working with Thomas Edison, Tesla partnered with George Westinghouse to promote alternating current systems as a more viable, scalable solution to electricity transmission. BBC SoundsNikola Tesla embraced showmanship when promoting ideas ahead of their timeHe once electrified himself during a live demonstration to illustrate the safety and power of alternating current, and his presentations often featured arcing coils, glowing lights, and bold claims about a future of wireless power. BBC NewsRead about the nine depictions of Nikola Tesla in media through 2020Portrayals include comedic takes, like John C. Reilly's performance in Comedy Central's "Drunk History" series, and more serious interpretations, like Nicholas Hoult's performance in Alfonso Gomez-Rejon’s historical drama, "The Current War." TheWrapDespite promoting alternative current, Nikola Tesla did not invent itThe technology was developed by Hippolyte Pixii in 1832, almost 25 years before Tesla was born. Other myths about Tesla include that he invented the transformer, radio, and the induction coil, which was invented by Nicholas Callan in 1836. Interesting EngineeringTesla's lack of business savvy and inability to commercialize led to his obscurityFor decades, despite pioneering technologies for large-scale electrical systems and telecommunications, Nikola Tesla had been forgotten to history. Rather than monetizing his work and becoming more well known, his inventor-first mentality saw him sell off lucrative patents to fund new experiments in the short term. SmithsonianGuglielmo Marconi overshadowed Nikola Tesla through commercializationDespite Tesla envisioning wireless power and communication earlier, Marconi developed practical implementations of wireless communication, including transmitting the first transatlantic radio signal. The technology, which facilitated telegraphy critical for warships and navies, earned Marconi the 1909 Nobel Prize in physics. ScienceShotThe Tesla coil was the first system to wireless transmit electricityDeveloped in 1891, the system effectively consists of two open electric circuits with a gap of air between them. When a high enough voltage is built up, air becomes a conductor and sparks of electricity are generated. Live ScienceThe world's first AC hydroelectric power plant incorporated Tesla's engineeringBuilt at Niagara Falls, New York, the plant alternating current electricity was hailed as the future of power generation. Tesla’s fascination with Niagara Falls is traced to his seeing a photo of the waterfalls when he was still a child. Science ChannelGeorge Westinghouse purchased Tesla's AC technology patents for $60,000 The seven patents in alternating current motors and power transmission formed the basis for a system of technologies including generators, transformers, and lighting. Nikola Tesla spent half the funds on a new laboratory to develop new inventions. PBSNikola Tesla was born in modern-day Croatia and moved to the US in 1884His interest in electricity came from his mother, who invented small household appliances during Tesla's upbringing. Upon arriving in America, he began working for and improving upon the electrical inventions made in Thomas Edison's lab. BiographyA pair of engineers began Tesla to prove the viability of electric vehiclesMartin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning sought to design a high-end electric sports car for environmentally motivated, affluent buyers. The Tesla Roadster would be the first highway-legal car to use lithium-ion batteries. 1440 Daily DigestElon Musk joined Tesla in 2004, investing $30M and becoming chairThe company went public in 2010, raising $226 million in its IPO just two years after beginning production on its first car. Tesla’s first Supercharger stations were launched in 2012 with six locations in California. TheStreetTesla plans to eliminate the use of rare earth elements in future vehiclesAt a 2023 Investor Day event, Elon Musk outlined steps to focus Tesla's efforts on climate action rather than new vehicle models. Musk estimates the transition to carbon-free, sustainable energy will cost $10T. NPRTake a drone tour of a Tesla factoryThe first of Tesla's large-scale European manufacturing plants for its electric vehicles was opened in Berlin in 2022. It—along with other facilities in Nevada, New York, Texas, and Shanghai—collectively manufactures solar panels, batteries, and other energy collection and storage products. TeslaTesla open-sourced all its patents to speed up industry adoption of electric vehiclesThe company employed a disruptive strategy to transform the transportation market, but early struggles, including leadership shifts and near bankruptcy in 2008, threatened its efforts to bring electric vehicles to the mainstream. Founders Tesla offers two variations of autopilot systems for its vehiclesThe standard package provides adaptive cruise control, which adjusts the vehicle's speed according to traffic conditions, and autonomous steering to maintain the car's path. The enhanced system includes automated lane changing, parking, traffic light, and stop sign controls. US NewsCalifornia startup Rivian has attracted disillusioned Tesla ownersSome electric vehicle buyers frustrated by Elon Musk's antics have been won over by the adventure-focused company, which has received a $5B investment from the Volkswagen Group to develop crossover and hatchback models with solid-state batteries. InsideEVsAs of January 2025, Tesla is the second best-selling EV company in the worldChinese automaker BYD saw nearly three times as many registrations of electric vehicles as Tesla through the sales of its plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles. Fellow Chinese competitor Geely sold 12.7% of all BEVs worldwide, surpassing Tesla's 12.4% share during the same period. CleanTechnicaTesla's production of a high-performance electric vehicle revived the EV industryThe Model 3 shifted public perception by showing that EVs could be fast and desirable, and built at scale. However, at one point, Tesla built an entirely manual production line in a tent outside its main factory to keep up with demand. CNBCOver-the-air updates, pioneered by Tesla, have become the industry standardTesla's innovative direct-to-consumer sales model and online ordering system changed car-buying, and the Model S, which had a 200-mile range, forced other automakers to enhance their EV offerings and rethink vehicle design. Consumer ReportsBYD Auto is the largest EV maker in China, overtaking TeslaAs of 2023, the company has 40% of the electric vehicle market in China and produces more than 3 million EVs for customers worldwide. Its vertical integration, which includes building its own batteries and cargo ships, has allowed BYD to lower retail costs. CNBCBy designing a $35,000 car, Tesla sought to bring EVs into the mainstreamDespite production delays, factory struggles, and skepticism from established carmakers, Tesla reached its goal of making 5,000 Model 3s per week. This achievement marked a turning point, proving that electric vehicles could be scalable to meet increasing demand. Land of the GiantsHow to visualize the enormous wealth of Elon MuskThe disruptive innovator and founder of SpaceX and Tesla is worth hundreds of billions of dollars, an unimaginable sum. This simple interactive visual uses pixels (representing $1,000 each) on a scrolling screen to demonstrate the billionaire's wealth compared to other known financial values, like the cost of building a Boeing 777 or the net worth of Tiger Woods. Engaging DataScience fiction or new technology?Dystopian literature is no longer relegated to the page, with innovations like the Tesla Cybertruck and Meta virtual reality headsets mirroring the aesthetics of texts like "The Running Man" and "Neuromancer." In this essay, Casey Michael Henry argues that the images from these works remain while their messages have faded. The New York TimesSee Bloomberg's continuously updated Billionaire IndexThis ranking, updated daily, shows a running tally of the world's 500 richest people. Tesla and SpaceX CEO has largely been atop the list, with a net worth of around $450B as of October 2025. Values fluctuate significantly as much of the wealth is tied to equity in companies. Bloomberg.comNiagara Falls helped decide the battle between AC and DC power In the 1890s, Niagara Falls became the proving ground for alternating current (AC) when Tesla and Westinghouse built the first large-scale AC hydroelectric plant—defeating Edison’s push for direct current (DC) in the US electrical system. HISTORYNiagara power helped electrify early New York CityTesla's AC system at Niagara Falls was so successful that electricity generated there lit up Broadway theaters and powered NYC’s subway system in the early 1900s. Big ThinkSpace archaeology studies space trash in the context of heritage and social meaningSome orbiting objects, such as Elon Musk's Tesla, have symbolic or historical importance, despite being functionally worthless. The oldest human-made object in Earth's orbit is Vanguard 1, a grapefruit-sized satellite launched in 1958. The strangest may be an experimental, inflatable space station containing live cockroaches. Ologies with Alie Ward Thomas Edison publicly executed animals with AC to convince the public of its dangersJ.P. Morgan first backed Thomas Edison's direct current system, seeing electricity's potential to usurp John D. Rockefeller's kerosene empire. Despite the investments and smear campaign against alternating current, alternating current ultimately won public support after lighting the 1893 World's Fair, after which Morgan would fund Tesla's wireless transmission tower. HistoryAlternating current was used to commit the first execution by electric chairDubbed the "executioner's current," the device was designed in Thomas Edison's lab by Harold Brown—an opponent of George Westinghouse and Nikola Tesla. The effort aimed at discrediting AC technology and gain favor for Thomas Edison's direct current as part of "The Current War." TIMEBurning Man’s countercultural messages have influenced Silicon Valley’s work cultureBurning Man is famous for attracting tech leaders like the CEOs of Tesla, Meta, and Google. Some experts believe the festival's ethos and principles of participation, communal effort and radical inclusion have given rise to Silicon Valley's communal work culture. Stanford UniversityYouTuber Marques Brownlee reviews the CybertruckInfluential technology reviewer Marques Brownlee—known online by his alias MKBHD—made a name for himself by offering in-depth reviews of gadgets like smartphones and laptops for his YouTube channel. Occasionally, he tackles bigger products. For instance, this nearly 30-minute deep dive into Tesla’s Cybertruck, an all-electric pickup truck with a bulletproof exterior and futuristic design, which goes from zero to 60 mph—faster than a Corvette. Marques BrownleeSince its 2019 reveal, the Cybertruck underwent numerous delays and design changesElon Musk first envisioned the Cybertruck in 2012, with its design inspired by "Blade Runner" and "The Spy Who Loved Me." Semiconductor shortages and battery manufacturing issues made it impossible to manufacture enough vehicles to meet the 250,000 preorders without shifting delivery dates. SlashGearThe Cybertruck's custom alloy exoskeleton withstood gunfireAlthough the Cybertruck was not designed to be bulletproof, ballistics tests with Glock, MP5, shotgun, and Tommy gun rounds showed the vehicle sustained only minor damage, such as impact craters and cracks in the glass, without fully penetrating the structure. TeslaOvercoming industry skeptics, SpaceX provides low-cost, high-publicity space flightsFrom recovering and reusing rocket components to launching a mannequin and Tesla into orbit to the tune of David Bowie's "Starman," Elon Musk drove public interest and government contracts to his company as he transformed space launches into spectacles. Space.com
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