> And yet, without him, electric cars would still be in their infancy and rockets would not be landing themselves

This seems... dubious? The chronology is: Smart EQ: 2007 (in tiny numbers; niche non-mass-market product)

Tesla Roadster: 2008 (in tiny numbers; niche non-mass-market product)

Nissan Leaf: 2010

Renault Zoe: 2012

Tesla Model S: 2012

The Leaf was a big seller, and the Zoe outsells Tesla's entire line-up in Europe.

I think it would be fair to say that Tesla really sold the idea of a _performance_ electric car, but not electric cars as a whole.