Tesla

Founded in July 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning as Tesla Motors, the company's early goal was to commercialize electric vehicles, starting with a high-end sports car. Elon Musk joined the board in 2004 after leading the Series A funding and eventually took over as CEO in 2008. The company's first vehicle, the Roadster, launched in 2008 and demonstrated that electric cars could be both high-performance and desirable. Following the Roadster, Tesla released the Model S sedan in 2012, which redefined the luxury EV segment with its long range and over-the-air software updates. This was followed by the Model X SUV in 2015. In 2017, the company launched the Model 3, a more affordable mass-market vehicle that propelled Tesla to become the highest-selling EV manufacturer in the world. To support this growth, Tesla aggressively expanded its manufacturing footprint with Gigafactories in Nevada, New York, Shanghai, Berlin, and Texas. In recent years, Tesla has diversified its product lineup with the Model Y compact crossover, the Cybertruck, and the Tesla Semi for commercial logistics. The company has also expanded its energy division, producing Powerwalls and Megapacks for energy storage. Today, Tesla is increasingly focused on artificial intelligence, developing Full Self-Driving (FSD) software and the Optimus humanoid robot, while maintaining its position as a pioneer in automotive manufacturing techniques like large-scale die casting.