Tesla is one of the most popular and innovative electric car companies in the world. But have you ever wondered why it is named after a 19th-century inventor and engineer? Is Elon Musk related to Nikola Tesla, the genius behind alternating current and wireless transmission? Or is it just a coincidence?
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The Inspiration Behind Tesla
The answer is no, Elon Musk is not related to Nikola Tesla. They are both inventors and entrepreneurs in their own right, but they lived in different eras and have no known familial relationship. Tesla was born in the Austrian Empire (now Croatia), while Elon Musk is from South Africa. They are connected because Musk’s car company is named Tesla, and they are both icons of technology innovation.
But who came up with the name Tesla for the car company? It was not Elon Musk, who joined the company as an investor and chairman in 2004, a year after it was founded. It was Martin Eberhard, one of the co-founders of Tesla, who had the idea to name the company after Nikola Tesla in 2003.
According to Business Insider, Eberhard spent months trying to find a suitable name for his electric car startup. He wanted a name that was not too ecological-sounding, too engineer-focused, or too Silicon Valley. He finally thought of Tesla while he was on a trip to Disneyland with his future wife. He pitched the name to her while they were at the Blue Bayou restaurant next to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. She liked it and he bought the domain teslamotors.com soon after.
The Connection Between Nikola Tesla and Electric Cars
Why did Eberhard choose Tesla as the name for his company? Because Nikola Tesla was the inventor of the AC induction motor, which is the core of most electric motors today. Tesla developed this motor in 1888 and patented it in 1891. He also devised a system of alternating current (AC) electricity that could power his motor and other devices more efficiently than direct current (DC) electricity.
Tesla’s AC system was adopted by George Westinghouse, who funded Tesla’s research and competed with Thomas Edison, who was promoting his DC system. In 1896, Tesla designed the power-generating system at Niagara Falls, which proved the superiority of AC over DC. AC power soon became the standard for electricity transmission and distribution across the world.
Tesla also experimented with wireless transmission of electricity and radio waves. He envisioned a global system that could transmit power and information without wires. He built a large tower called Wardenclyffe near Shoreham on Long Island, New York, hoping to demonstrate his wireless system. However, he ran out of funds and his project was abandoned in 1906.
Tesla’s inventions and ideas influenced many fields of science and engineering, including robotics, radio, radar, x-rays, lasers, remote control, and wireless communication. He held more than 300 patents and received many honors and awards for his contributions. He died in 1943 at the age of 86 in New York City.
The Respect Between Elon Musk and Nikola Tesla
Although Elon Musk is not related to Nikola Tesla, he has expressed his admiration and respect for him on several occasions. In 2010, he said that “Nikola Tesla was one of the greatest engineers and inventors of all time” and that “he remains an inspiration to me personally and to many entrepreneurs and inventors—both in Silicon Valley and around the world.”
Musk also donated $1 million to the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe in 2014, which is a nonprofit organization that aims to preserve and restore Tesla’s laboratory and tower on Long Island. He also installed a statue of Tesla at the Tesla Design Studio in Hawthorne, California.
However, Musk has also said that he is more inspired by Thomas Edison than by Nikola Tesla. In a 2008 interview for The Henry Ford museum, he said that Edison was “probably one of the biggest role models” for his life because he was “a guy who made amazing things happen” despite many failures and challenges.
Musk also pointed out some differences between himself and Tesla. He said that Tesla was more of a “pure inventor” who did not focus on commercializing his inventions or managing a company. He also said that Tesla had some “flaws” such as being “too generous” with his patents and being “too idealistic” about his wireless system.
Conclusion
Is Elon Musk related to Nikola Tesla? No, they are not. But they are both remarkable innovators who have changed the world with their vision and creativity. Tesla is the name of the car company that Musk leads, but it is also a tribute to the legacy of Nikola Tesla and his contribution to electrical engineering. They are both worthy of admiration and respect..
