As Electric Cars sales take off, automakers move to hyper-connected, upgradeable vehicles

Last week, Tesla surpassed Toyota in market capitalization to become the highest valued automaker in the world. The rise of the 16-year old electric car maker to the #1 position, with only 48,000 employees, dwarfs companies such as General Motors, which, with 164,000 employees, is worth just over a fifth of Tesla's valuation. You will find more infographics at Statista. Despite several product launch delays and sometimes questionable leadership, the company has been able to change the value proposition and perception of the electric car, making it a sustainable and desirable option for many customers. To accomplish this, Tesla has sought and invested in leading-edge technologies since its foundation, embracing cloud computing, IoT, and on-demand manufacturing.