Skip to navigationSkip to main contentSkip to right columnADVERTISEMENTRyan Vanzo, The Motley FoolSun, September 13, 2026 at 5:35 PM GMT+2 4 min readInvestors looking for high-growth electric vehicle (EV) stocks should pay attention to what made Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) a $1 trillion business. CEO Elon Musk laid out Tesla's recipe for success in a 2006 blog post titled, "The Secret Tesla Motors Master Plan (just between you and me)." In the post, Musk detailed Tesla's three biggest priorities:Build a sports carUse those proceeds to build an affordable carUse that money to build an even more affordable carWhile it took longer than Musk initially expected, Tesla executed this vision perfectly. The company released the Roadster sports car in 2008 at a price of roughly $100,000. The Model S followed in 2012 at around $60,000. The Model 3 debuted in 2017 at just $35,000.Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »Tesla gradually scaled its business to sustainably produce low-cost vehicles at a profit, eventually making it the world's largest EV company. Tesla then had the scale, capital, and brand recognition to invest in other opportunities such as robotaxis and autonomous semitrucks.EV competitors Lucid Group (NASDAQ: LCID) and Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ: RIVN) have yet to replicate Tesla's orchestrated rise. But the upside potential for investors is clear. Tesla's market capitalization currently hovers around $1.2 trillion. Rivian, meanwhile, is valued at just $23 billion, with Lucid's market cap recently falling below $2 billion.If you're looking to invest in the next Tesla, one stock sticks out above the rest.Tesla is currently involved in a wide array of opportunities with huge long-term upside potential, most notably robotaxis and self-driving technology. The ability to pursue these opportunities, however, came after the company scaled its manufacturing capacity to produce affordable vehicles. From this perspective, Rivian is arguably well ahead of Lucid.This year, both Lucid and Rivian released new vehicles. The differences between the new models couldn't be clearer. Lucid launched its Gravity SUV, a high-end luxury model with a base price of nearly $126,000. Including taxes, fees, and options, total costs could easily surpass $150,000. In short, this is hardly a vehicle that can help Lucid build mass scale.Rivian, meanwhile, launched its R2 SUV, with a starting price of around $45,000. Higher-end versions of the R2 cost closer to $60,000. With 69% of Americans hoping to spend less than $50,000 on their next vehicle purchase, Rivian at least has a chance of achieving mass sales. That's especially true given that the company plans to release two additional models -- the R3 and R3X -- with even lower starting prices.Terms and Privacy PolicyEU DSA contactPrivacy & Cookie SettingsMore Info