How one man's vision and determination changed an industry

[ev-now]

I get the CNET Roadshow newsletter - it has 6-8 headlines each time they send it (multiple times per week). It was notable last week that on one newsletter not one article was Tesla related - there's almost always something - and they are NOT all a fanboys, some of the article are not pro.

Today 5 of 8 are about EVs or electric in some regard. I find it incredible that it really did just take one person who would not take no for an answer to shift the conversation in a whole, massively vested, industry.

All new Volvo's to be electric by 2019, France looking to stop all ICE sales by 2040, other countries going for sooner.

Say what you will about Musk - this is a remarkable achievement which I really think would still be years off if it were not for Tesla.

 

[Canuck]

Just some food for thought:

Will the Real Tesla Founder Please Stand Up?

 

[tomas]

Just some food for thought:

Will the Real Tesla Founder Please Stand Up?

Who founded or who imagined it is irrelevant. Who DID it is. God bless the other guys, but Musk is the guy who made it happen. Made this new car company a household name, drove the other companies to BEV commitment, as well as accellerating the incorporation of driver assistance technology. Lots of people can imagine stuff. Even more can see the flaws and shoot it down. Rare few can make it a commercial success and reroute an established juggernaut industry.

 

[Canuck]

Who founded or who imagined it is irrelevant.

It can't be irrelevant since there would be no Tesla for Musk to take skyward were it not for Tom Gage and Alan Cocconi. Certainly, that meets the test for relevance.

Aristotle said: “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” In my view, that applies to Tesla. It took Tom Gage, Alan Cocconi, Martin Eberhard and Elon Musk to get Tesla to where it is today. Did Musk do most of the heavy lifting? Probably. But without the others, there would have been nothing for him to lift.

 

[tomas]

It can't be irrelevant since there would be no Tesla for Musk to take skyward were it not for Tom Gage and Alan Cocconi. Certainly, that meets the test for relevance.

Aristotle said: “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” In my view, that applies to Tesla. It took Tom Gage, Alan Cocconi, Martin Eberhard and Elon Musk to get Tesla to where it is today. Did Musk do most of the heavy lifting? Probably. But without the others, there would have been nothing for him to lift.

You can play what if all day but I believe he could have found other starting points to same end if so inclined. The guy he'd probably need is JB.

 

[MarcusMaximus]

It can't be irrelevant since there would be no Tesla for Musk to take skyward were it not for Tom Gage and Alan Cocconi. Certainly, that meets the test for relevance.

Aristotle said: “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” In my view, that applies to Tesla. It took Tom Gage, Alan Cocconi, Martin Eberhard and Elon Musk to get Tesla to where it is today. Did Musk do most of the heavy lifting? Probably. But without the others, there would have been nothing for him to lift.

You're forgetting GM for producing(and destroying) the EV1, the entire lithium-ion battery industry, Ford for mass producing cars, Nicola Tesla, etc. Everything we do is built on the accomplishments of other people.

 

[Fiddler]

AC Propulsion founder Alan Cocconi designed and built the controller used in the original GM Impact, which later became the GM EV1.
Martin Eberhard encouraged Tom Gage and Alan Cocconi to move their prototype tzero into production. When they declined, Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning incorporated Tesla Motors to pursue the idea of building an electric roadster in the spirit of the tzero. Elon Musk later test drove the tzero as well, and he also encouraged AC Propulsion to commercialize the vehicle. Tom Gage again deferred, but put Elon Musk in contact with Martin Eberhard.[10]

Before Tesla Motors developed its Roadster's proprietary powertrain, the company licensed AC Propulsion's EV Power System design and Reductive Charging patent which covers integration of the charging electronics with the inverter, thus reducing mass, complexity, and cost. Tesla then designed and built its own power electronics, motor, and other drivetrain components that incorporated this licensed technology from AC Propulsion. Given the extensive redevelopment of the vehicle, Tesla Motors no longer licenses any proprietary technology from AC Propulsion

 

[Brando]

Two original founders in 2003 - Marc gives his views

 

[SMAlset]

No doubt success is built on the advances by others. However I do believe Tesla would not be where it is today without Musk himself and clearly his talented and dedicated teams of employees and all of us who have bought a Tesla product. A company can have a great product but without the right leadership and alot of luck and good timing as well, the company could go nowhere.

Interestingly Elon is not exactly the best presenter as far as delivery goes, but his passion for what Tesla is doing and the product itself still captivates audiences and makes them want to believe in him and the company. People simply love the product. I have a tremendous amount of admiration and respect for what he has accomplished and look forward to what lies down the road. He's built a great company under his leadership and attracted some of the best talent in design. Design across the board in all products. Those people believe in him and his mission and all of them are changing our world for the better in the fields of transportation and energy.

Thankfully Tesla started a number of years ago and stayed true to its goals and showed how BEVs can be not only sexy but fun to drive while saving the Earth from polluting emissions and people would buy them even when the technology would cost more than the mainstream cars. They have great products to inspire when the timing couldn't have been better. Horrible, sickening smog from ICE vehicles in recent years have choked our cities worldwide and prompted governments to legislate BEVs. Great products helping to solve a pressing problem at the right time and headed up by a man who continues to amaze us with what can be accomplished.