Batteries to thrusters: Tesla's 18-year road to the flying car

[Tesla Debuts Its New Crossover SUV Model, Tesla X] Justin Sullivan Over eighteen turbulent years, Elon Musk transformed Tesla (TSLA [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/TSLA]) from a niche garage venture re-engineering sports cars into an industry-shattering titan preparing to literally launch vehicles into the air. The trajectory started in 2008 with the original Roadster, a hand-assembled proof-of-concept built on a Lotus Elise glider that nearly bankrupted the startup before proving battery power could outperform internal combustion.