For millions of traders and CNBC addicts, the word "Tesla" doesn't mean cars it means TSLA, one of the wildest large-cap stocks the world has ever seen.

Driving the news: On Monday alone, Tesla opened $114 higher than its previous close, then gained another $136 within 15 minutes, then dropped by $324 before the market closed. (Even during the drop there was a half-hour period where the stock rose another $100.)

Large-caps aren't supposed to be this volatile. Tesla's Monday peak was 89% higher than the low point two weeks earlier on no real news.

By the numbers: Tesla stock is popular among day-traders who don't like to hold any kind of position overnight. Partly as a result, it opened higher than its previous close every day this month up to yesterday.

Don't look to Wall Street analysts for clarity. Their price targets range from $87 (Gordon Johnson of GLJ Research) to $2,322 (Alex Potter of Piper Sandler).

The bottom line: Cars and carmakers have had mythic status for decades. But for the time being it often seems that there's only one game in town.

Go deeper: Breaking down the Tesla obsession

More here:

Tesla and TSLA: Electric vehicle to gambling vehicle - Axios