About the Book: Tesla was named to honor inventor Nikola Tesla, chosen for its catchy appeal and modern, tech-forward vibe, without sounding overly “eco-friendly.” Elon Musk joined the company in 2004 as a key investor and later spearheaded multiple funding rounds, securing over $105 million from high-profile backers like Google’s Larry Page and Sergey Brin—fueling Tesla’s rise to fame. With its innovative “master plan,” Tesla revolutionized the electric vehicle (EV) industry, transforming a simple idea of a fast, fun electric car into groundbreaking automotive and clean energy technologies. One major challenge was battery charging—early Roadsters took up to 48 hours to fully charge, a stark contrast to gasoline refueling. Tesla solved this problem with the invention of Supercharger stations, making long-distance EV travel fast and convenient.