The Grandfather of Spark May Glow for Centuries

Theodore Roosevelt once said, "The boy who is going to make a great man must not make up his mind merely to overcome a thousand obstacles, but to win in spite of a thousand repulses and defeats." Although the 26th President of the United States didn't know it at the time, Roosevelt could have been writing the obituary of one of the greatest minds of that century, Nikola Tesla.

Most historians would have expected the name of Nikola Tesla to have appeared on light bulbs, radios, batteries, oscillators, transformers or even large power-generating plants, but not on tractor-trailer trucks. The Serbian-born engineer, physicist and inventor is believed to have received more than 300 patents worldwide, some of which are still not accounted for. Nonetheless, Tesla's concepts and uses for "the spark" have continued for nearly seven decades after his death.

Under the employee of Thomas Edison, J.P. Morgan and George Westinghouse, Tesla's name and inventions remained hidden for decades. But, at least the world is getting it right now and Nikola Tesla may forever be attached to the "electric world" that would have not been the same without his innovative genius. Who knows, one day Tesla may deservingly be known as the Henry Ford of the electric driverless vehicle... and more.

Recently, the world's largest beer brewer Anheuser-Busch placed an order for 40 electric Tesla semi trucks. Other early orders for the fully electric tractor-trailer rig have come from distributors and transporters, such as Wal-Mart, J.B. Hunt, Meijer, DHL and Canadian grocer Loblaw. Including the vehicles earmarked for Anheuser-Busch, the electric vehicle manufacturer has already pre-sold close to two hundred vehicles. According to the manufacturer, users should be able to recognize a complete ROI within two years from savings on fuel.

Fortunately, the man who overcame a thousand obstacles as well as a thousand defeats never lost sight of his vision for a future powered by his "spark of genius."