One car company that gets a lot of people talking is
Tesla
, as the brand is an American trailblazer in electric vehicles and green energy. Originally dubbed Tesla Motors upon its 2003 founding by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning,
Elon Musk
flexed his leadership muscles with a bold investment in February 2004, snagging the chairman spot and later moving up to CEO by 2008.
Despite its hype, the backstory of Tesla’s moniker remained enigmatic until a recent social media post shed some light on the situation. Someone asked: “What is the meaning of the word ‘Tesla’ in a business context? How did the company get its name?”
It wasn’t long before people started suggesting ideas, but there’s actually an important story behind the name. Little you may know, Nikola Tesla, a legend among electrical engineers and an unsung hero of invention, inspired the brand’s name – and this nod from Musk has helped to keep Tesla’s ingenious spark alive despite his past underdog status.
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The Seattle Times
explained: “In the age of Edison, Westinghouse, Marconi and J.P. Morgan, Tesla was a giant of innovation because of his contributions in the fields of electricity, radio and robotics.”
Many now believe that Tesla is finally receiving the recognition he deserves, largely thanks to Musk. Marc Seifer, author of Wizard: The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla, stated: “It’s a sociological fact that Elon Musk took the Tesla name and launched Nikola Tesla into the stratosphere. Tesla’s risen to the surface again, and now he’s getting his due.”
Nikola Tesla graced the cover of Time magazine in 1931 but sadly passed away in poverty in 1943 after years of dedication to projects that struggled to find adequate funding. Yet, some of Tesla’s most significant inventions are gaining more attention today.
In 1884, Tesla arrived in New York with hopes that Thomas Edison would support and develop his alternating-current (AC) motor and electrical system.
The Seattle Times reported: “But Edison was investing in highly inefficient direct-current (DC) systems, and he had Tesla re-engineer a DC power plant on Pearl Street in Lower
Manhattan
. The men soon parted company over a financial dispute.
“George Westinghouse provided funding for Tesla’s AC induction motors and devices, which soon came to dominate manufacturing and urban life. Unlike the DC motors of the time, Tesla’s motors didn’t create sparks or require expensive permanent magnets to operate. Instead, they used a rotating magnetic field that used power more efficiently in a basic design that is still the core of most electric motors.”
Tesla developed the power-generating system at Niagara Falls in 1896, marking a significant advancement for his AC system. Over time, entire cities began to operate on AC power, following a battle that Westinghouse won against Edison, the primary advocate for DC power. This conflict is depicted in the film, The Current War, featuring Benedict Cumberbatch as Edison.
Tesla also played a crucial role in the development of radio technology, conducting tests between 1892 and 1894. He often referred to the radio as an “oscillator” which allowed electricity to be converted into high-frequency radio waves, enabling energy, sound and other transmissions to travel long distances.
He envisioned a system capable of transmitting radio and electricity globally. After several successful experiments in Colorado in 1899, Tesla began building what he called a “World System” near Shoreham,
Long Island
.
His goal was to power vehicles, boats and aircraft wirelessly. In essence, he believed anything requiring electricity could access it from the air, similar to how we receive transmitted data, sound and images on smartphones today.
However, he lacked sufficient funds, and J.P. Morgan Jr. , who had been financing the project, ceased his support.
The Seattle Times elaborated: “His achievements remained incomplete. He created the AC energy system and the basics of radio communication and robotics but wasn’t able to bring them all to fruition. His life shows that even for a brilliant inventor, innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It requires a broad spectrum of talents and skills. And lots of capital.”