Tesla's Telluride Connection
Yes, the Telluride Ski Resort logo and Tesla's logo look VERY similar, but they actually have nothing to do with one another. However, they DO have an unexpected connection.
Tesla was first founded in 2003 by two engineers, Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. The company was named after the famous physicist Nikola Tesla, who discovered and patented the rotating magnetic field and developed the three-phase system of electric power transmission. Tesla, the company, has no connection to Telluride at all. However, Tesla, the physicist, does.
The story starts in the late 1880s, when L.L. Nunn moved to Telluride to run the Gold King Mine, which is near the current-day ghost town of Alta. With rising costs of fuel, Nunn was having trouble keeping the mill afloat. That's when he turned to Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse for their alternating current power concept. They agreed to let him build the world's first commercial grade alternating current power plant in Telluride, which began operation in 1891 as the Ames Power Plant. It succeeded, and it became the first of its kind. Telluride would also become the first town in the United States to be powered by AC electric power. The plant is still functioning (in its current state since 1906) and is managed by Xcel Energy.
So, while Tesla (the human) has a connection to Telluride, Tesla (the company) does not - other than a name. However, many have noticed the Telluride Ski Resort logo bears a resemblance to the Tesla logo. They are, in fact, completely different designs. Tesla's logo was designed after an engine, and Telluride's was made 20+ years ago to resemble a pickaxe, which is a subtle nod to Telluride's history as a mining town. Sure, they may seem similar, but they both have totally different meanings and origins.
The Designs
Tesla's logo was designed to resemble the cross-section of an electric motor.
The Telluride Ski Resort's logo was designed to resemble a pickaxe as an homage to the area's mining history.