Elon Musk went open-source at his other company, SpaceX, years ago. The aim here is to increase the appeal of electric cars in the marketplace.

If founder Elon Musk is right, Tesla Motors just might reinvent the American auto industry—with specialized robots building slick electric cars in a factory straight from the future. That's where the battery-powered Model S is born.

Tesla Motors is challenging the giants of the global auto industry with all-electric cars—and a new approach to building them. Take a look at their assembly lines, and the philosophy behind them.

Preorder a Tesla today—but don’t expect to get behind the wheel for another 2-3 months. We go inside Tesla’s rigorous quality testing that each of its vehicles must undergo before hitting the road. From water and drive tests to a 101-point checklist, see the exhaustive inspection these electric beauties go through.