1851

When it comes to technological innovation, few names are as recognizable as Elon Musk. The entrepreneur made a name for himself with Zip2 and PayPal, the first companies he founded and later sold. But it&#8217;s two other ventures&#8212;SpaceX and Tesla&#8212;that have earned Musk a spot in the history books. Musk launched <a href="http://www.spacex.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=whats-next-for-elon-musk-and-tesla-motors-5415" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">SpaceX</a>, a private company focused on revolutionizing the space industry, in 2002. Then one year later, <a href="https://www.teslamotors.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=whats-next-for-elon-musk-and-tesla-motors-5415" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Tesla Motors</a> made its debut with its seemingly far-fetched mission to produce only sustainable, electric cars. From the start, both brands were viewed as failures waiting to happen. But now, over a decade later, it&#8217;s clear that Musk&#8217;s ambitious initiatives were right on target. In an <a href="http://time100.time.com/2013/04/18/time-100/slide/elon-musk/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=whats-next-for-elon-musk-and-tesla-motors-5415" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">article naming Musk one of Time&#8217;s 100 most influential people</a>, Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group said, &#8220;His Tesla Motors and SolarCity companies are making a clean, renewable-energy future a reality. It&#8217;s a paradox that Elon is working to improve our planet at the same time he&#8217;s building spacecraft to help us leave it. But true vision is binocular &#8212; and Elon Musk is clearly a man who can see many things at once.&#8221; That ability to see when future technology can become present reality was first publicly visible with Tesla in 2006, when Musk released a &#8220;top secret&#8221; <a href="https://www.teslamotors.com/blog/secret-tesla-motors-master-plan-just-between-you-and-me?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=whats-next-for-elon-musk-and-tesla-motors-5415" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">master plan</a> detailing how to turn Tesla into the powerhouse driving the entire automotive industry forward. He saw that plan through, starting with the Tesla Roadster in 2008. The car opened the door to electric mobility, and paved the way for the brand&#8217;s line of premium electric vehicles, including the Model S, the Model X and the Model 3, which is still in development. But Tesla&#8217;s success hasn&#8217;t always been visible. The brand&#8212;and Musk&#8212;have weathered their fair share of controversy. Before the Roadster ever hit the market, it experienced major production problems that left customers angry. More recently, the Model S and its Autopilot system have been at the center of a National Highway Traffic Safety administration investigation and Senate Commerce Committee briefing surrounding a fatal car crash. And it&#8217;s not the first crash that has a possible connection to Tesla&#8217;s cruise control technology. Still, Musk and Tesla continue their quest to raise the bar in the sustainable automobile industry with no plans to slow their innovation efforts down any time soon. In fact, Musk just released the <a href="https://www.tesla.com/blog/master-plan-part-deux?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=whats-next-for-elon-musk-and-tesla-motors-5415" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">second part of his master plan</a> that aims to expand the electric vehicle product line to all major segments, including semi-trucks. It&#8217;s that commitment to progress and finding the next way to make sustainable energy a reality that continues to enable Musk&#8212;and his companies&#8212;to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. Musk told <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/10544247/Meet-tech-billionaire-and-real-life-Iron-Man-Elon-Musk.html?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=whats-next-for-elon-musk-and-tesla-motors-5415" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">The Telegraph</a>, &#8220;A lot of my motivation comes from me personally looking at things that don&#8217;t work well and feeling a bit sad about how it would manifest in the future. And if that would result in an unhappy future, then it makes me unhappy. And so I want to fix it. That really is the motivation for me. I certainly don&#8217;t believe in disrupting things for the sake of it.&#8221;

1851 Franchise

Amid controversy, Musk’s innovation efforts continue to raise the bar in the automotive industry.


This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

What’s Next for Elon Musk and Tesla Motors  

whats-next-for-elon-musk-and-tesla-motors

TruBlue Home Service Ally

TruBlue’s Home Maintenance Plans: Peace of Mind for Homeowners

trublues-home-maintenance-plans-peace-of-mind-for-homeowners

Caring Transitions

Caring Transitions Targets Peoria, Illinois, for Franchise Growth

caring-transitions-targets-peoria-illinois-for-franchise-growth

Caring Transitions Celebrates a Strong Start to 2025 With 19 New Franchise Sales and Momentum-Building Training Events

caring-transitions-celebrates-a-strong-start-to-2025-with-19-new-franchise-sales-and-momentum-building-training-events

Right at Home

Right at Home 30th Anniversary in Home Care with Right at Home Logo

Celebrating 30 Years of Excellence and Future Innovations in Home Care

celebrating-30-years-of-excellence-and-future-innovations-in-home-care

Why TruBlue is the Ideal Franchise for Multi-Unit Owners: Scalable Growth With a Purpose

why-trublue-is-the-ideal-franchise-for-multi-unit-owners-scalable-growth-with-a-purpose

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

DoorDash Expansion Could Reshape Delivery and Operations for Franchise Brands - 1851 Franchise

DoorDash Expansion Could Reshape Delivery and Operations for Franchise Brands

doordash-acquistions-deliveroo-sevenrooms

Crumbl Franchise Investment - TSG Consumer Partners -  1851 Franchise

TSG Consumer Partners Takes Minority Stake in Crumbl, Signaling Franchise Growth Potential

crumbl-franchise-investment-tsg-consumer

Yum Brands Reports Strong Q1 Results with Big Boost from Taco Bell

yum-brands-reports-strong-q1-results-with-big-boost-from-taco-bell

QSR: McDonald’s Gains Momentum With Chicken Innovation, Value Deals and Franchisee Support

mcdonalds-franchise-recovery-chicken-strategy-value-deals-2025

The Future of Franchising: Trends and Predictions for 2025 and Beyond

the-future-of-franchising-trends-and-predictions-for-2025-and-beyond

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: Building Your Brand’s Growth Machine

ultimate-guide-to-selling-franchises

franchise supplier award design with Locate AI logo and 1851 Franchise badge

Franchise Real Estate Services | Locate AI — Emerging Leaders in Franchise Support

locate-ai-emerging-leaders-in-franchise-support

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: How to Position Your Value Proposition

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: How to Position Your Value Proposition — Point of Differentiation

how-to-position-your-value-proposition-with-a-point-of-differentiation

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: How to Clarify Your Positioning – The “Why You/Why Now”

the-ultimate-guide-to-selling-franchises-how-to-clarify-your-positioning-the-why-youwhy-now

Franchisee spotlight image with Randy and Sandy Craft, Children's Lighthouse logo on blue background

The Crafts’ Successful Journey from New Parents to Children’s Lighthouse Franchisees

the-crafts-successful-journey-from-new-parents-to-childrens-lighthouse-franchisees

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Amy Lepke and family and Papa Murphy's logo

After 14 Years as a Stay-At-Home Mom, Amy Lepke Returned to Papa Murphy’s — This Time as an Owner

papa-murphys-franchise-amy-lepke

Franchisee Spotlight with Micki Waters and Papa Murphy's Logo

Work Mom: How Micki Waters Became a Mother Figure to Her Entire Papa Murphy’s Team

work-mom-how-micki-waters-became-a-mother-figure-to-her-entire-papa-murphys-team

District Taco Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

franchise-deep-dive-district-tacos-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

Layoffs Surge to Pandemic-Era Highs, Opening Doors for Franchise Growth

layoffs-surge-to-pandemic-era-highs-opening-doors-for-franchise-growth

Franchisee spotlight image with photo of Robert Trujillo and UWRG logo on blue background

How Robert Trujillo Expanded His Construction Business With UWRG

how-robert-trujillo-expanded-his-construction-business-with-uwrg

What’s Next for Elon Musk and Tesla Motors

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS