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Few would debate that Tesla took lovers, haters, and investors on a wild-and-crazy ride in 2019.
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It wasn't new for anyone who's followed Tesla for the past half-decade. But the carmaker did create some new crises in 2019 - and overcome some old ones.
A picture tells a thousand words, so here's a month-by-month visual review of Tesla's year:
JANUARY: Tesla breaks ground for a Shanghai factory. The carmaker started the year with an unprecedented deal: it would be the first western automaker to own a China factory without a joint venture.
FEBRUARY: Tesla books two consecutive quarters of profits. Tesla has made money in just a handful of quarters in over 15 years of existence, so a third and fourth quarter in the black in 2018, reported in February of 2019, was something special.
MARCH: Elon Musk reveals the Tesla Model Y. The crossover SUV was heralded as the next big thing, but many observers found the unveiling to be surprisingly subdued.
APRIL: Comparisons between Tesla and Theranos come to a head. Tesla's share price was sliding in the first half of 2019, and losses were on the horizon. Naysayers were happy to bring up Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes' Silicon Valley debacle. Could Tesla be looking at bankruptcy?
MAY: Tesla undertakes another capital raise. The company finally bit the bullet and issued $2.7 billion in new equity and convertible debt.
JUNE: Tesla's share price tanks. The first half of 2018 was a demoralizing one for Tesla investors. Shares cratered in June.
JULY: Model 3 deliveries take off. In the second quarter, Tesla's sales took off, led by the Model 3. The company sold close to 100,000 vehicles.
AUGUST: Tesla's biggest Wall Street supporter confronts reality. Morgan Stanley's Adam Jonas has been a longtime Tesla bull, but even he has had to trim his expectations. In August, he called the carmaker "fundamentally overvalued" but "strategically undervalued."
SEPTEMBER: The Tesla vs. Porsche Taycan battle is joined. The all-electric Porsche arrived and with it, inevitable Tesla comparisons. What was remarkable was that youthful Tesla was thrown into battle with arguably the best carmaker on Earth.
OCTOBER: Tesla decides to sunset the Model S design. Musk said that Tesla might continue to build its first clean-sheet vehicle for "sentimental" reasons, but it was clear that the company's commitment was to its newer vehicles.
NOVEMBER: The Cybertruck arrives! The most bonkers Tesla moment of the year — Musk rolled out its futuristic, stainless-steel pickup truck.
DECEMBER: Tesla stock hits an all-time high. $420? That's secured! Tesla ended the year on a high financial note, with a market cap over $25 billion higher than GM.
