## The Mind-bending Joyrides That Gave Rise to Tesla ## Inside the rocky origins of Elon Musk’s billion-dollar EV gamble Inside the rocky origins of Elon Musk’s billion-dollar EV gamble Tesla’s original vehicle, the Roadster, seen here in red, evolved from the tZero electric car (yellow). The tZero was the brainchild of Alan Cocconi [second from left]. Its transformation into the Roadster involved a cast of characters including Tom Gage [left], Elon Musk [center right], and Martin Eberhard [right]. In 2003, Martin Eberhard, a cofounder of Tesla Motors, decided it was time to start wooing…