Why did Elon Musk name his company Tesla?
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Time is a healer, time is a killer, and most importantly time is one of those peculiar topics that force us to go back and forth again and again. Samuel Johnson Once said we hardly appreciate our Contemporary geniuses. But time compensates for all.
Nikola Tesla, one of the prolific scientists of the planet earth, has faced almost extinction until Elon Musk named his Electric car company Tesla Motor.
A character like Elon Musk surely makes a great influence on the opinion of people. But why did Elon Musk name his Electric car company Tesla Motor?
Well, Nikola Tesla was the first person who invented AC Induction Motor. As Tesla cars run on AC, Elon Musk credited Tesla by naming his electric car company as his name.
Credit was due, and it paid off by Elon Musk
Credit was due where it should be given. We would not be able to live in such luxuries unless Nikola Tesla had invented the AC current. Almost ninety percent of the electronic devices from different categories are currently running by using the same mechanism that Nikola Tesla has introduced to us.
But to our utter surprise, he did not get the exact recognition during his living life. In reality, he had to die the most miserable death possible. But great works never die.
Nikola Tesla again came into the limelight after more than a hundred years of his death when Elon Musk credited him by naming his electric car company as Tesla Motor.
We can’t say whether the naming justified Tesla’s total contribution or not. But it is indeed true that most science geeks are now paying a great deal of respect to the legend. Most importantly, a large number of people are being willing to learn about the works and contributions of Nikola Tesla.
Why did Elon Musk name his Electric car company Tesla Motor?
Here are some of the points why most probably Elon Musk has named his Electric car company as Tesla Motor-
- First of all, Nikola Tesla invented the AC Induction motor, which is the main power source of all Tesla cars.
- Nikola Tesla did not get the homage and recognition he deserves during his lifetime.
- Nikola Tesla is one of those prolific inventors who has invented more than 100 different patents.
- More than 80% of the technology that we use every single day can be credited in some way to Nikola Tesla.
- It can be also the reality that Elon Musk did not know much about Nikola Tesla as most people do. He probably wanted to credit the inventor of the AC induction motor by naming the company as his name.
Whatever may be the case, it is the truth that Tesla Motor greatly helped in the revival of the name Nikola Tesla.
Nikola Tesla, One of the greatest pioneers of the modern electronic technologies
Now that we have a glimpse of why Elon Musk has named his company Tesla Motor, let us learn some of the interesting information about Tesla that might intrigue you to a great degree-
- Nikola Tesla has worked for Thomas Edison to develop the Direct current.
- The viciousness or attitude of Edison towards Tesla caused Tesla to suffer the most.
- While working with DC motor, Nikola Tesla created the technology to harness the AC or Alternating Current.
- One of the primary benefits of using Alternating current over DC is that it can run a significantly longer distance than Direct current but at a nominal cost.
- Edison promised that he would pay $50,000 dollars to Tesla, but he refused to pay once Tesla developed the Alternating current.
- That is why Tesla did not share the patent with Edison, which caused him to suffer a lot in the longer run.
The duel between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla
Tesla had indeed lost the duel, but he made a great wound that is becoming more visible in the 21st century, almost 100 years after his death.
When Tesla did not agree to share the patent with Thomas Edison, Edison started to bolster the mass people by saying that alternating current is dangerous, and can create havoc if used without proper maintenance.
Edison killed poor dogs, horses, and even an elephant by using alternating currents in an attempt to scare and deceive the masses.
At that moment, it may seem that he was successful. But after a hundred and thirty years, here we are greatly relying on alternate current to solve our necessities.
But our textbooks seem to credit Edison more than Tesla
If you are an A grade student, you probably would say that how come that be true? Edison was a great inventor. He invented the light bulb, which these days are also helping us to illuminate our needs.
Well, we have to mention that Edison did not invent the light bulb rather he developed it. Edison purchased the patent from Henry Woodward and Matthew Evans and later developed it to a better edition. That is why everything you know about Thomas Edison might be wrong.
We won't say that what you are learning in your textbook is all wrong. But history can sometimes expose a glimpse rather than discerning the whole picture.
Let’s talk a little bit more about Elon Musk
In one of his interviews, Elon Musk has said that Nikola Tesla deserves a little bit more play than he gets in current society. Elon also adds that he is a big fan of Edison because he brought his products to the market and made those accessible to the world, whereas Tesla did not.
In that case, it is worth mentioning that Edison was a better marketer than being a better inventor. On the other hand, Tesla deserves to be considered as one of the greatest inventors of all time.
Final summary
Elon Musk has indeed received a great fortune from his electric car company Tesla Motor. But what he did in return? Well, you should know that Elon Musk has donated $1 million dollars to Nikola Tesla Museum. The name 'Nikola Tesla' should remain in history more than the name Tesla Motor. Why so? Well, Nikola Tesla is the reason why you can sit on your electric Tesla car.