1. Tesla is an innovative electric vehicle company founded in 2003 by Elon Musk, currently employing over 13,000 people and valued at over $30 billion. 2. Tesla pioneered bringing affordable long-range battery packs to market, with models offering over 300 miles of range, and innovated a direct-to-consumer sales model. 3. Tesla also innovates through over-the-air software updates, customizable driver experiences, and a highly automated Gigafactory to enable mass production of batteries.