Tesla Motors - The Early Years

[WarpedOne]

I read that Elon now refers to them as "two guys I hired to build a prototype".

Between many things that Elon is, he is also a liar.

[CroDriver]

I did a lot of reading (and watching presentations of Martin) about the beginning of Tesla and Martin's effort to make a good car and company. I have a huge respect for him and his achievement and I can't believe how he got kicked out of the company.

I'm developing a EV too, and I'm very surprised how similar our routs are. I'm facing the same problems he did. Good to know that someone else succeeded in such a venture.

Such a shame for the company to loose him.

[Bud]

From Wiki: Elon Musk - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Excerpts:

"Musk is perhaps most famous for his role at Tesla Motors, where he was a co-founder and the company's sole product architect and chairman of the board."

"His vision was to create the Tesla Roadster as a means to that end—a car aimed specifically at affluent early adopters, who would then buy the sports car and subsidize the research and development costs of lower priced models of electric vehicles."

"Several mainstream publications have compared him with Henry Ford for his revolutionary work on advanced vehicle powertrains."

[vfx]

"Several mainstream publications have compared him with Henry Ford for his revolutionary work on advanced vehicle powertrains."

Name one.

[Chris H.]

Bud, we may have to start referring to him as "Elon Gatsby"...

For those wondering about the reference:

Jay Gatsby - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Bud]

vfx, I've long enjoyed your comments. Keep in mind that I didn’t write those absurdities. They’re from a Wikipedia article and express a startlingly different version of Tesla history. I did wonder what kind of person could have written them. Here are a few guesses.
1. Someone poorly informed and impressionable.
2. The TM CEO himself.
3. A somewhat subtle satirist.

Chris, I have to confess that I never read any Fitzgerald, and that I have very little interest in the TM CEO except as it pertains to TM history. Even in that regard I now prefer to just let his words, and Martin’s eloquence, speak for themselves.

[vfx]

Nothing personal Bud. I know you were quoting.

My comment was directed "to the room".

[dpeilow]

Found this article from the local paper at Hethel when searching for something else yesterday. One for the archive.

Lotus to build US electric supercar - Motoring - Eastern Daily Press

[S-2000 Roadster]

VFX, "Delaware?"

For tax reasons mostly.

Yes, Delaware is very friendly to outside companies incorporating there. Microsoft is a Delaware company, even though they were founded and are still headquartered in Redmond, WA. Perhaps there is some logic to Tesla Motors - considered the software company of automakers - being incorporated in the same state as Microsoft and others.

[S-2000 Roadster]

Tesla Founders Blog credits Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning as founders of Tesla Motors, Inc. Wikipedia includes Ian Wright as a team member, but not necessarily a founder. What was the name of the company that Elon Musk and J.B. Straubel were working at when Tome Gage or AC Propulsion suggested that they all get together?

It seems like it should be possible to find the Delaware incorporation documents for Tesla Motors, Inc., and simply look at the names of the people listed. Does anyone have a link?