Insane Mode: How Elon Musk's Tesla Sparked an Electric Revolution to End the Age of Oil

Insane Mode is the astounding story of the most revolutionary car company since Ford and shows how, under Elon Musk’s “insane mode” leadership, the company is bringing an end to the era of gasoline-powered transportation.

Hamish McKenzie experienced Tesla’s world first hand and then as a journalist dove deep into how and why this West Coast start-up’s audacious dream came true. Elon Musk created a car company that would go up against not only the might of the government-backed Detroit car manufacturers, but also the massive power of Big Oil and its benefactors, the Koch brothers.

The $35,000 Model 3 is transforming the public perception of Tesla. Nearly half a million people put down $1,000 to preorder the car—but with ongoing production glitches how long will we have to wait? Meanwhile Tesla’s debt is teetering on “junk bond” status and some are betting the company will fail…

As McKenzie shows, Tesla has triggered frenzied competition, but it remains ahead of the pack because it is building the highest-quality cars and infrastructure that a new era of transportation will require. The popularity of electric cars is growing around the world, especially in China, and McKenzie interviews little-known titans who have the money and the market access to power a global electric car revolution quickly and decisively.

Insane Mode is a story of the best kind of American ingenuity. Koch critics, environmentalists, and hard-headed business school professors agree:

“This is one of the fascinating stories of our time—it’s as if someone had been around to chronicle Henry Ford from the very start.”—Bill McKibben

“Insane Mode presents a bracing view of one of the most important stories of our time, while delivering a direct hit on those who stand in the way of a sustainable future.”—Naomi Orestes, Harvard University

“Heralds an historic revolution in transportation. Tesla deserves all the credit it gets, but Hamish McKenzie’s deep reporting across three continents reveals the scope of the transformation now underway. It is a deeply hopeful and inspiring story. We need it.”—Jonah Berger, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

Hamish McKenzie?has been an editorial advisor to Kik, a reporter for the tech blog PandoDaily, and a freelance journalist covering digital technology and start-ups. His work has appeared in a range of international publications, including Reuters, The Guardian, the South China Morning Post, The Globe and Mail, The Star (Toronto), CNN.com, TechCrunch, and the New Zealand Listener. Originally from New Zealand, he now lives in San Francisco.