When John B. Rogers was a Marine deployed in Iraq in 2004, he brought a book called Winning the Oil Endgame with him to the Gulf. The book, by environmental activist Amory B. Lovins, discusses how people can end their dependence on fossil fuels. Rogers says reading the volume inspired him to create a new type of car company, one he believes offers a more efficient and effective way of designing, manufacturing, and selling autos.

Since at least the early ’90s, we’ve been hearing that Mass Customization is going to change the consumer landscape, but by and large, we still buy manufactured goods the way we have since the middle of last century. With the exception of custom-crafted luxury goods like bespoke tailored suits and mega-yachts, most of our purchases are still very standardized, and “customization” means picking the 256GB hard drive over the 128GB, or selecting the Sport Package for your new car.